Operation: Big Brother
by Sariniste
Summary: Urahara waved his fan. "Based on my psychological analysis of Aizen's personality, all you have to do is go back in time and give him a hug, and all our problems will be solved!" Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Whatever." Aizen/Ichigo friendship, humor and fluff. No yaoi. Child!Aizen, time travel, pre-series canon, not quite crack. Book I COMPLETE, Book II in-progress.
1. Book I - Chapter 1

**Operation: Big Brother Ch 1**

**Summary:** Urahara waved his fan. "Based on my psychological analysis of Aizen's personality, all you have to do is go back in time and give him a hug, and all our problems will be solved!" Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Whatever." Aizen/Ichigo friendship, humor and fluff. No yaoi. Child!Aizen, time travel, pre-series canon, not quite crack.

(Originally posted 7/6/2014)

XxXxXxX

"Ichigo, Soul Society is in a real pickle since Aizen's last attack after he escaped from prison." Urahara leaned against a table in his lab. "If he combines forces with Juha Bach, we may not be able to survive." He adjusted his striped hat, opened his fan and fluttered it back and forth.

Ichigo retorted, "So what else is new? I'm doing everything I can, but even powered-up I'm still not up to his level, unless I work with others."

"Exactly!" Urahara shut his fan with a snap and grinned. "You and I need to work together again." He gestured at what looked like a huge machine covered in a drop cloth. "Which is why I built this special machine just for you, so you can solve all our problems!"

"Okay, fine. But what does it do?"

The shopkeeper patted the machine proudly. "I've figured out exactly what it's going to take to stop this war with Aizen, and that _you_ are the only one who can do it."

"I get that," Ichigo said. "How is this machine going to let me do that?"

"Good! I'm glad you've already agreed to participate! Of course it's still in the experimental stage, but I'm sure none of those little software and hardware bugs will be a problem." Urahara whipped the drop cloth off the machine and fiddled with a dial. The machine began to emit a loud hum. Crackles of electricity and long sparks zipped from one end of an electrode to another.

"Uh," said Ichigo, looking a little nervously at the device, "exactly what did you say this thing does?"

"Step right up." Urahara gestured to a large metal plate at the rear of the device. "It won't hurt a bit! Or at least not very much. If you survive that is," he added, twisting another dial and frowning over a readout.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He stepped onto the plate and loosened Zangetsu in its sheath. "So what am I supposed to do?"

"I've completed my psychological analysis of Aizen's personality, and fed the results into the supercomputer I built last week." He frowned at a display on the side of the machine and tapped it with one finger. He scowled when nothing happened, and rapped on the display sharply with his fan. An array of lights immediately popped into existence, winking in an elaborate pattern. "Eh. Just what it needed, a carefully-calibrated percussive input."

"Yes?" demanded Ichigo. "You were saying about your psychological analysis of Aizen's personality."

"Of course I'm only a humble shopkeeper and not a psychiatrist, so don't hold me responsible, but you see, based on what you yourself told me when you crossed swords with him, he was _lonely_. You said that ever since he was very young, he always had far more power than everyone around him, and that he was always searching for an equal. Then he finally gave up on ever finding someone like that and decided that instead, he would take over the world."

"Riiight, so what did you say I have to do to stop him?"

"I'm getting to that, I'm getting to that, don't be so impatient. You kids. Everything has to be done yesterday." He laughed loudly as Ichigo stared at him in mounting annoyance. "That's a joke, Ichigo. You'll see in a moment. Lighten up." He flipped a few more switches and the ominous hum increased in volume. "Good, I think it's going to work after all." He straightened and peered at Ichigo from under his hat. "Here we go!"

A bright light began to glow around Ichigo, making it hard for him to see or hear anything that was going on in the lab. "Hey!" he shouted, as sparks arced up all around him. "Hurry up and tell me what I'm supposed to do!"

"All right, all right. Calm down. What I've done here is build a time machine."

"A _what_?"

"Time machine. No self-respecting scientific genius can be without one. This will be the crowning achievement of my career. At last everyone will forget all about the previous failures…well, we won't go into that…" He paused in his adjustments of the levers and buttons to gaze off into the distance. The lights and noise around the machine intensified.

From atop the glowing plate, Ichigo interrupted. "_Will_ you stop blathering and tell me what's going on?"

Urahara started. "Ah! Oh. All you need to do is go back in time to when Aizen was a boy, get to know him, since you're the only one with the power to be his equal, and befriend him. Let him know that this whole trying to be a god thing is a bad idea! Problem solved!" He tipped his hat down over his eyes. "I really am a genius."

"What? Befriend _Aizen_? What the fuck? The guy's an evil scumwad!" Ichigo shouted. "How can I make friends with someone like that?"

"Oh, you can do it, Ichigo." Urahara waved his fan again. "The fate of the universe hangs in the balance."

"No!" shouted Ichigo, almost completely obscured by sparks. He crossed his arms. "I won't do it."

The shopkeeper looked nonplussed for a few long seconds. Then he heaved a sigh. "Well then…" He rubbed his chin. "I've got it! You have to do it to protect your friends!"

Tufts of Ichigo's orange hair stood on end, and he scowled and uncrossed his arms. "Well, in that case then." An expression of extreme resolve appeared on his face, and he unlimbered his sword and got into a ready stance. "I'll do it! But… how does one make friends with someone like Aizen?"

"That's easy, Ichigo!" Urahara declared. "All it takes for you to save the world is… give Aizen a hug! That's all he needs!"

The light around the platform flared more brightly than ever, and the crackling intensified. With a loud bang, all the lights went out.

A few moments later, the emergency generators kicked in and dim lights came on all over the lab. The platform was empty.

XxXxXxX

"Aaand a-one two three four! And a-one two three four!" the Shinigami Academy drill sergeant bellowed. "Keep going, ya maggots!"

Ichigo grunted. The old-time training methods they used in the past were already getting pretty annoying. But he had managed to complete the first part of his mission correctly: he'd found himself in the forest outside Seireitei, asked for directions to the Academy, presented himself as a shinigami candidate in training, and, after much head-scratching and moaning over paperwork by Academy officials, had been admitted.

The way they ran things here it was surprising Aizen hadn't snapped earlier. The entire Academy was extremely regimented, with no allowances made for individual differences or advanced skills. Unlike in Ichigo's time, everybody had to complete the full six-year course regardless of ability. For Ichigo, placed in first-year classes and forced to learn basic techniques he had already mastered long ago, it was pure torture.

At least he had made contact with his target. Aizen looked like he was about nine years old, but there was no missing his reiatsu. It was overwhelming, even for someone at Ichigo's level. Other students frequently had to be removed from class whenever Aizen released his energy to perform an exercise. As a result, the boy had been ostracized, and was frequently punished by the teachers. In these days imprisonment and corporeal punishment were common in the Academy. After yet another scene where Aizen had completed a task that had knocked out about a dozen of his classmates and been hauled away in punishment, Ichigo asked if there was any way Aizen could be moved to a more advanced class or perhaps allowed to graduate early, since he was clearly an unusually gifted student.

The shinigami instructor snorted, "Gifted? His power appears high now, but it'll all even out by third year." He puffed out his chest. "Here at the Shinigami Academy, we believe that _every_ candidate is gifted."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Isn't that just another way of saying no one is?"

"Silence!" roared the instructor. "Fifty laps around the barracks for insolence!"

Of course, using flash step, Ichigo could complete that in about a minute, so it was a relatively ineffective punishment. Afterwards, he returned, not even winded, to the instructor who had barely finished speaking.

The instructor glared at him, his face still red. "Well, since you and trainee Aizen seem to have the same ignorant, pigheaded views, you can join him for the night in the Repentance Cell!" He gestured to two other trainers. "Guards, take him away!"

The boy was sitting in the corner of the cell when Ichigo arrived, thick, messy bangs flopping over his glasses, a frown on his face as he stared off into the distance, refusing to acknowledge his new cell mate. He was painfully thin, his wrists pale and lined with blue veins; his shinigami outfit hung loose on his small frame. Bruises peeped out from under his collar.

Ichigo sat down beside him. "Hey." He indicated the bruises. "How'd you get those?"

"It's nothing. They'll fade as soon as I get out of the reiatsu-limiting area." His gaze returned to the far end of the room.

Ichigo tried again. "Did you get them in training?"

This time, intense brown eyes focused on Ichigo, eyes appearing larger than usual in the thin, pale face; a penetrating stare that appeared to take in everything about him. "No, the guards _accidentally_ knocked me into the wall when they were bringing me here." He paused and looked Ichigo up and down. "Seven or eight times."

Ichigo winced. "Does that happen a lot here? Because I used to have the same kind of problems with bullies back in middle school."

The boy shrugged. "It's unimportant."

"Can't you fight back?"

"If I do, then I'll get expelled, and I need the degree. It's only six years."

Ichigo raised his brows. Apparently patience had always been one of Aizen's virtues. The boy looked around nine, but had to be no older than Ichigo's own age of seventeen, and six years seemed like a really long time to him. Nearly half his own lifetime. (Well, if you weren't too good at math.) If Aizen was already capable of making plans that involved accepting abuse for half a lifetime merely to get a piece of paper from the Shinigami Academy, no wonder he could plot for a hundred years to become God. "What's your name?"

The boy gave a long-suffering sigh as though he hadn't wanted to be engaged in conversation with a stranger, but was forcing himself to be courteous. "Aizen Sousuke. Pleased to make your acquaintance," he returned politely but with an edge of hostility.

Ichigo suppressed a grin. At least the mask wasn't yet completely in place. "I'm Kurosaki Ichigo. Pleased to meet you. I just arrived here and entered the Academy."

Sousuke rolled his eyes. "I know. You showed up last week, and already the instructors are talking about your power levels. Not in six hundred years have there been two first-year students with such destructive amounts of reiatsu."

Ichigo was impressed. "How'd you know all that?"

The boy appraised him coolly. "I watch and listen. It's not that hard. No one notices you when you're small and know how to hide."

"I'm not too good at that." Ichigo ran a hand through his hair, wondering what abilities Aizen had already developed that he might be using for his clandestine information-collecting activities. "It seems people are always noticing me. Can't imagine why."

Sousuke offered him a small grin and his eyes flicked to Ichigo's mop of bright orange hair.

"I've always wanted to learn how to be more unobtrusive," Ichigo said. "You seem to do a good job of reining in your power when you want to. Care to teach me?"

Those all-too-sharp eyes examined him once again. Ichigo could almost hear the gears churning in little Sousuke's over-powered brain. "Why should I do that, give an advantage to someone who is likely to be my only competitor?"

Ichigo shrugged. "Who knows, maybe I'll return the favor and help you someday."

Sousuke looked skeptical, but then he mused, "Of course, it is boring sitting in here, being the only one singled out by the instructors. If I help you develop your powers, maybe some of their punishments will fall upon you."

Ichigo smirked and lifted a shoulder. "That seems like as good a reason as any other."

XxXxXxX

**A/N:** Please review and let me know what you think of this story.

Virtual cookies to anyone who gets the movie and TV references in this chapter. Bonus points: how many clichés and tropes can you find? :)


	2. Book I - Chapter 2

**Operation: Big Brother Ch 2**

**A/N:** Answers to the "movie and TV references" question in the first chapter:

1. "Evil scumwad" is from the TV show _Breaking Bad_; it's what Jesse the young sidekick called Walter the protagonist turned antagonist in a scene near the end.

2. The "Everybody's special" line followed by "That just means nobody is" is from _The Incredibles_.

(Originally posted 7/12/2014.)

XxXxXxX

Ichigo sat in the classroom, trying to keep his jaws from cracking as he yawned. One thing hadn't changed in hundreds of years: teachers were still boring. He peeked out the window. The late fall sky topped the buildings of the Shinigami Academy, hazy blue streaked with thin wispy clouds. Across the courtyard, a row of trees whipped back and forth in a stiff breeze.

He rested his chin on one palm, trying to keep his eyes open. Maybe if he closed them just for a moment…

"Ichigo," said a gravelly voice, and Ichigo's eyes jerked open. His jaw dropped. In front of him stood Chad, Orihime, and Renji, all wearing Shinigami Academy uniforms.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded.

Renji threw up his hands. "What did you expect from Hat-and-Clogs? It was an accident. We were all helping the mad scientist in his lab when Yoruichi, in cat form, jumped up onto his laptop. She stepped on a sequence of keys that activated the time machine, and, before we knew what had happened, we were all sent back here."

"But don't worry, Ichigo," said Chad. "We're glad to be here. We can give you advice on your mission. I don't think giving Aizen a hug is necessary. You don't even need to talk to him much, just stand quietly by his side and offer him loyalty."

Orihime piped up cheerfully, "No, Kurosaki-kun, I think a much better idea is to make him something homemade to eat. Remember, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach!" She brought an elaborate concoction out from behind her back. "Ta-da! My special pickle, rutabaga and chicken ice cream pie!" She grinned proudly.

"Uhhh, _chicken_ ice cream?" groaned Ichigo. "Inoue, are you sure…?"

"Don't worry, Kurosaki-kun," she announced cheerfully, "I remembered to remove the feathers this time!" She peered at a small protuberance sticking out of the crust and her face fell a little. "Although… I may have forgotten to remove all the claws." She poked at the pie crust with one finger and her face lit up. "But it's okay because it'll just add a crunchy surprise to the texture!"

There was a thud. Chad had gagged, passed out, and now lay sprawled full-length on the floor.

Renji looked like a Christmas tree, his face bright green under his equally bright red hair.

Ichigo swallowed. "Uh, Inoue, maybe this isn't…"

She beamed, holding out the pie. "Give Aizen-san some of this, and I guarantee he won't betray Soul Society!"

"Yeah," muttered Renji, "because he'll have died from food poisoning first." He shoved his face up close to Ichigo's. "No, what you need to do is whip his ass in a fight! That's the primary rule from the most authoritative reference ever – manga. First you fight with someone, then you become their best friend." He scratched under his red ponytail. "Well – unless you kill them, that is. Or unless they're the villain." A look of confusion crossed his face. "Wait…"

"You idiots!" shouted a voice from the window. Ichigo spun around. Rukia was perched on the windowsill, arms folded, a very cross expression on her face. "Don't you understand? Ichigo is the _only one_ who can save the world by befriending Aizen. And Ichigo, you need to get off your ass and start _doing_ something instead of just sleeping in class."

She stopped abruptly and put a finger to her mouth. "I just thought of the best idea! Let's get Aizen a Chappy plushie! That's it!" She grinned triumphantly. "It's clinically proven impossible to make evil plots to take over the world if you sleep with a Chappy plushie in your bed every night!"

Ichigo gaped at her, ignoring the Chappy comments. "What you mean by _doing something_?" he asked. "_What_ am I supposed to be doing?"

Rukia rolled her eyes in exasperation. "This!" she shouted, and without warning her fist slammed into his face, along with a healthy dollop of spirit pressure that felt almost solid. "Wake up, Ichigo!"

Ichigo jerked upright in his seat, his eyes snapping open. His friends were gone, and the entire class had turned around in their seats and were staring at him, including Sousuke, sitting one row over watching him with a very faint smirk on his face. Bewildered, Ichigo rubbed his eyes. It must have been a dream. He must have fallen asleep in class and dreamed that his friends showed up in the Shinigami Academy.

The teacher glared at him. "Detention for you, Kurosaki." His lip curled in vicious satisfaction. "Report to the sergeant for latrine duty this afternoon."

Ichigo groaned under his breath and tried to scrub the sleep out of his eyes.

He missed his friends. Seeing them had brought back a rush of emotions. Being thrown so far back outside of his own time made him feel like an alien, like everything his instincts normally told him had been turned upside down. Being sent on a mission to somehow befriend the most evil criminal Soul Society had ever known did not make for restful nights. It would have been great to talk with them again, even if their advice sucked. He still felt a little sick to his stomach after seeing Orihime's pie, but that, too, was a familiar feeling.

The bell rang, and everyone got up. Students slammed books into bags and a hubbub of conversation arose. Ichigo bent to get his bag from under his seat. Sousuke stood up from his chair, and two of the larger first-year students chose that moment to walk by. They bumped into him "accidentally." One knocked off his glasses and the other stepped on them. There was a loud crunching sound.

"Oops!" sniggered the bigger of the two boys.

"Sorry," said the other one insincerely.

They shouldered their way out of the class, snickering.

Sousuke glanced down at the shattered frames and bits of glass. The boy's face appeared even younger and more vulnerable without his glasses, his eyes unfocused and vague. He sighed softly and opened his book bag. He pulled out a threadbare handkerchief and laid it on the floor. Kneeling, he picked up bits of broken lenses and twisted frames with his thin fingers and placed them carefully in the ragged square of cloth.

Without a word, Ichigo slid to his knees and helped him collect the pieces. Sousuke met his eyes expressionlessly, and returned to his task.

"Is there a shop or somewhere you can get those repaired or replaced?" Ichigo asked.

The boy looked away, his bangs falling over his face. "Yes," he said quietly, "there is a lens grinder in town. But it is expensive." He tilted his head. "Surely there must be a kidou to return objects to their original state. However, I haven't been able to find a spell like that in any of the books in the library."

"Uh, yeah," said Ichigo, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't think that's on any of the lists."

Sousuke's eyes lit. "There must surely be kidou beyond what we are taught. The Academy limits us, you know," he whispered, lowering his gaze. "I've heard about forbidden kidou, techniques that only some are allowed to practice."

Ichigo frowned, thinking of what he had heard about Tessai and the use of forbidden kidou. "Surely repairing objects wouldn't be forbidden?"

Sousuke shrugged and placed the handkerchief containing the wrapped remnants of his glasses carefully in his book bag.

"Look, why don't the two of us go after those guys?" Ichigo said. "We shouldn't let them get away with that."

"Go after them?" Sousuke turned on him and the air crackled with spiritual pressure. "Didn't you know? Takeo and Mitsuru come from noble families. If we fight them we'll both be expelled."

"But you can't just let them get away with stuff like that! Otherwise they'll keep on bullying you!"

Sousuke stared up at him, his eyes bare and suddenly burning. His bangs fell to one side and Ichigo could see two small red marks on either side of his nose left by his glasses. "Let them get away with it?" His eyes narrowed. "Do you think that I would _let_–"

Then his face shuttered and he turned away. "I can't do anything about it, and it doesn't really matter," he said softly. "Let it go."

He got to his feet and left the classroom, leaving Ichigo staring after him.

What was it he had been about to say?

XxXxXxX

Ichigo took a step out into the training yard for what had become their daily practice session. Sousuke stood motionless, his sword unsheathed, his face in shadow.

"Ouch!" Ichigo yelled. A lash of reiatsu had suddenly struck his face. He raised an arm defensively, a little too late, and Sousuke sighed.

"No," came the soft voice from across the yard. "Use your energy to form a shield, not your body."

"Shit," Ichigo muttered as blood trickled down his face. He healed it and raised his mental shields. "You enjoyed that," he accused. "You're a sadistic son of a bitch."

The only response was a quiet chuckle. "But you can't deny it makes for effective training."

Ichigo growled, but then he thought back to how Urahara had trained him, and his dad, and said nothing.

Sousuke moved forward into the light. "Besides, it seems to me that you enjoy pain."

"What? Of course not," Ichigo retorted. No, he had thoroughly cussed out Urahara after Hat-and-Clogs had nearly killed him. Not to mention the way he put his goat-faced father in his place after his "wake-up calls." He _hated_ the way they treated him.

The boy studied his expression carefully, a subtle smile on his face. "I saw you defending that trainee the other day. You have something of a hero complex, Ichigo, charging into a group of at least half a dozen bullies."

Ichigo frowned. "I just needed to protect her. What was it, six against one?" His face darkened. "Unacceptable. And the way the Academy looks the other way when nobles are involved? It has to be stopped."

Sousuke gave a light laugh. "Stopped by whom? Us? Don't be ridiculous. We have no power in the system. Actions such as you propose could only lead to exile or even death. Don't you know what happened to Nakamura Minori?" Ichigo shook his head. "He was a student here, a peasant from Inuzuri. He attacked a noble last year and was expelled. They found him in the forest, dismembered. His killers were never found. They never even searched very hard. The word was that he got what he deserved."

"Well, what else can we do?" Ichigo challenged, watching Sousuke closely.

There was a momentary glint in his eyes, and then the boy shrugged. "Wait. Go through the process, work our way up the ranks. One day we will be the people making the rules."

Ichigo shook his head. "I just don't have that kind of patience. That girl could have been killed while I _waited_. I had to save her _now_."

"My point exactly. What you do is not rational, so I've come to believe there must be some deep underlying need in you for self-immolation, to charge into a crowd of fists and swords that will surely inflict pain upon you." He tilted his head. "Why? Do you feel you did something wrong in your life, something that deserves punishment, to make you such a masochist?"

"Of course not," Ichigo yelled, pushing away the thought of when he had failed to save his mother. "It's just the right thing to do, dammit. You should consider thinking about doing the right thing yourself." He glared at the boy who one day was going to cause so many deaths in pursuit of his own selfish desire for power.

Sousuke laughed gently. "You're protesting quite a bit, Ichigo. That's usually the sign I'm hitting a little close to home."

As he left the training area later, Ichigo scowled. Why did so many of their discussions seem to turn out this way? He was five years older than Sousuke; the boy had admitted he was barely twelve years old. And yet, it seemed the younger boy always got the better of him. It wasn't just that his reiatsu was powerful; with his intellect, he could think rings around everybody around him.

Ichigo had to figure out how to get through to him. He shook his head as he hurried to his next class. He didn't seem to be making much progress. And he had a feeling that the younger boy was up to something. Exactly what, he couldn't put his finger on. He scowled, again wishing he had a friend to talk things over with.

He ran into the classroom and grabbed the last seat. Their teacher was sick, and supposedly they had a substitute today. He saw a sandaled foot appear on the other side of the door.

Then their substitute teacher came into view and turned to face the class.

Ichigo's jaw hit the floor.


	3. Book I - Chapter 3

**Operation: Big Brother Ch 3**

(Originally posted 7/17/2014.)

XxXxXxX

The classroom door opened and in walked Hirako Shinji, wearing the uniform of a sixth-year Academy student. Ichigo gaped as the future Vizard grinned toothily at the class under neatly-trimmed bangs, long blond hair falling halfway down his back. He still looked exactly the same, the youthful face, the jaunty grin… only his hair was different, long and straight and glossy instead of the pageboy cut he had worn when he showed up as a student in Ichigo's class in the world of the living so long ago.

Er… would show up, in the future. Ichigo shook his head. This time travel stuff was confusing.

In this time period, Ichigo realized, Shinji still had not yet been hollowfied. He had not yet gone through that horrific night where Aizen had experimented on him and his friends and turned them into what they believed were monsters. He must still have had some innocence. He surely couldn't be the same cynical friend Ichigo had once known, relied on, fought beside.

Ichigo tried to see if there was anything different in his face from the Shinji he remembered.

"Hey everyone! Sorry to inform you that your regular instructor was injured on a mission, an' we're a little short-handed right now, so you guys get the only fully-qualified teaching assistant in the Academy!" He jerked a thumb towards his chest and his grin spread to encompass even more teeth. "That's yours truly." He turned to write his name on the board, and Ichigo rolled his eyes as he saw that he was writing the characters backwards. So that at least hadn't changed. Even hundreds of years ago, Shinji was telling the same jokes.

Ichigo chuckled to himself. If he got back — _when_ he got back — he was going to give his friend some good-natured ribbing about that.

"Now, I know you're studyin' the theory of military strategy in this class, but I've never been much of a theory kind of guy. Let's spice it up by talkin' about practical tactics in fightin' hollows!" He grinned again and began a series of rapid-fire drawings on the chalkboard. "Now, hollows come in many shapes, sizes, and strengths, but the one thing we always know is, they're predictable. They're driven by hunger, pure and simple. They seek out souls to devour. They're simply not intelligent enough to evolve past instinctual behavior. Knowin' this gives us our greatest weapon against them. Brains will always triumph over brawn."

Ichigo snuck a glance at Sousuke, taking notes in his neat handwriting with a completely neutral expression on his face. He wondered if he was seeing the germ of the idea that would one day lead to Aizen's experimentation with hollows. After all, if your enemy had a fixed idea of what you were like, and then you changed, it could be a very powerful strategy to use against an opponent.

Shinji made another joke, and most of the class laughed. However, Ichigo noticed that one corner of Sousuke's mouth twitched downward very slightly. So he already didn't like the older student. Did they have a previous history? What was it, after all, that had led Aizen to specifically target Shinji with his experimentation?

Back in his own time, the Vizard had told Ichigo in detail about the momentous night leading to their hollowfication and exile. Aizen's remarks to him during that encounter had seemed incredibly personal to Ichigo.

_ "If you had interacted with me as other captains did with their lieutenants, you might have noticed something was wrong… The reason you're lying there right now is all thanks to the fact that you knew nothing about me."_

Now that Ichigo knew Sousuke, the words sounded a little bit sad, and certainly petulant, as though Aizen had been nursing a long-term grudge. But Shinji had never told Ichigo any details about his previous relationship with Aizen. Obviously he had never thought much of the man even before the events that day.

"Awright!" shouted Shinji. "Now we're gonna hear your personal stories about contact with hollows. Who wants to start?"

Sousuke, on the other side of the room from Ichigo, raised his hand. Shinji glanced right past him and pointed to a burly student behind him. "Hayashi! Why don't you tell us about the last time you saw a hollow?"

"Uh... w-we," the student stuttered, "we were on a training exercise an' one was hidin' under a bush." He turned bright red and fell silent.

"Well?" prodded Shinji. "What did you do?"

"Me?" squeaked the student. "Nothin'."

"When the hollow encountered you, did it try to hide? Evade your attacks? Outflank you?"

"Naw... it just charged us… an' then the teacher split its head in two."

"And what about you? How did you react?"

"Uh…" Hayashi gulped. "I—"

"He shit his pants," interrupted his neighbor, guffawing. Hayashi whipped his head around, glaring, but fell into an embarrassed silence.

Shinji snorted. "Awright, awright. Movin' on. What about you?" he said, pointing at another student, again ignoring Sousuke's upraised hand.

He continued on through the class, driving home his point that hollows behaved instinctually and never showed signs of intelligence.

After a few questions, Sousuke interrupted before another student could speak, "With all due respect, Hirako-san, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence."

A look of distaste crossed Shinji's face. "Do ya always hafta sound like a dictionary, Aizen? An' I don't recall calling on you."

"I'm merely pointing out the logical flaw in your arguments, Hirako-san. It would be remiss of me to allow your misconceptions to influence the class."

Shinji rolled his eyes. "Remiss! Misconceptions! Seriously, Aizen, get that stick outta yer ass."

The class laughed.

Ichigo slapped his hand on his desktop with a loud crack. "_I've_ seen hollows showing signs of intelligence." He threw back his head and glared at Shinji. "And why is Sousuke being singled out as the only one you didn't call on?"

"Eh?" Shinji looked Ichigo up and down with interest. "You're the new student, Kurosaki Ichigo, isn't it?"

"What if I am?" Ichigo challenged.

"I've heard of you," Shinji waggled his eyebrows. He crossed his arms. "So, enlighten us. What signs of intelligence have you seen?"

Ichigo hesitated. How much could he say? When he first arrived in the past, he had worried about disrupting the timeline until he realized his whole purpose in going back was to change things.

He remembered his first encounter with Fishbone D, how his heart had pounded, and the expression on Rukia's face as he purified him. Still, most of the hollows he encountered in the early days did act like mindless beasts. Until Grand Fisher.

"There was one hollow I saw," he began, "that used a lure on the top of his head to draw in victims."

Shinji scoffed, but Sousuke looked fascinated.

"So? There's plants that grow somethin' that looks like food to bugs, to lure 'em in. You're not sayin' that plants are intelligent, are you?"

"This hollow could create a lure that appeared to be someone you knew. That indicates some kind of thinking, doesn't it?"

"Someone you knew? You're sayin' this hollow could read your mind?" Shinji looked skeptical but also intrigued.

"Yes," Ichigo continued, wondering again if he was saying too much. "His fingers could extend and pierce your body, extracting your memories. He was intelligent enough to sort through them and create a replica of someone you cared about."

"Hmmmm." Shinji rocked back on his heels. "Don' think I've ever heard of a hollow like that." He eyed Ichigo. "Where did you say you encountered it?"

"Does it matter?" shouted Ichigo. "I'm just providing evidence that disproves your theory! What kind of teacher asks his students questions but then attacks them if they seem to be learning anything new?"

"Huh." Shinji tipped a nonexistent cap to Ichigo. "I kinda like you, new guy."

XxXxXxX

Sousuke caught up with Ichigo as they walked to their next class. "That hollow you mentioned," he began, "the lure looked exactly like a regular person?"

"Yes," Ichigo said shortly. He didn't want to talk about it, didn't want to remember the hollow who had tricked him so devastatingly, didn't want to remember that day or any of the days afterwards. When he had been left alone, the center of his life gone, the sun forever set.

Sousuke studied his face. "Who was it that meant so much to you?"

Ichigo glared at him. He never liked personal questions. But he knew from experience that Sousuke was so curious that he wouldn't stop pestering him until he answered. "It was my mother, all right? She died because of me."

Sousuke raised his eyebrows. "You have a family?" He said it so neutrally, like someone who had no clue what the word 'family' meant, who had no idea what it meant to lose a mother. Ichigo remembered the moment when he had crossed swords with Aizen, felt the bone-deep loneliness in his sword, felt the utter solitude of the man who had lived for hundreds of years. He had even gotten a glimpse of his inner world. In it, there were no buildings, no forests, no life. It was a desert more barren than Hueco Mundo. It was ironic that when Aizen had gone to the world that bore such a resemblance to his soul, he had built an artificial sun.

Just as he had built an illusory self, a warm and caring man.

But what was he now, at twelve years old? Was he even now cold and alone, lost in the empty desert that Ichigo still remembered? He never had a family, but why was he asking Ichigo about his? Why did he even want to know?

He had noticed that Sousuke had been seeking him out more and more lately, had never once missed one of their training sessions. The boy never spent much time with anyone else, almost always preferring his books.

"Yeah," said Ichigo at last. "Well, I _had_ a family. Now—" He shrugged. It occurred to him that he had no idea how to get back home. He had kind of hoped Urahara would pull another genius act out of his floppy hat, but realistically he knew there was no guarantee. He might never see his dad or his two little sisters again. He scowled at the other boy. "I had two little sisters, but as far as I know, they're gone. What about you?"

It was Sousuke's turn to look away. "No," the boy said softly. "My earliest memory is of being a small child in Inuzuri."

Ichigo stopped. He didn't think Sousuke had ever revealed anything about his personal life before. "You never had anyone looking out for you, an adult or older kid?"

Sousuke shrugged. "In Inuzuri, it was pretty much every man for himself. Every child for himself as well."

Ichigo thought of Rukia and Renji's stories of growing up together on the streets. They had their own kind of family. Aloud, he said, "Weren't there other kids you could band together with?"

"If they were bigger than me, they wouldn't want a weaker kid around. Conversely, why should I take in a weaker partner? What good would it do me? They would be nothing but weights around my legs, holding me down… and a handicap like that could kill you, on the streets of Inuzuri."

"Do you look at everything in terms of what good it would do you?"

"It's called survival. It's a matter of life and death to be rational. Why should I die because I allied myself with someone weaker?"

Ichigo shook his head. "My little sisters were attacked by hollows, and I defended them. It might not be rational, but it was the right thing to do."

"But if you died for them, what purpose would it serve?"

Ichigo glared. "That doesn't matter! What matters is that a big brother protects their younger siblings. You don't think about your own danger. You just think about the goal. My goal is to protect my friends and my family!" He hadn't realized how loud his voice was getting, but a number of heads had turned to watch their conversation. Ichigo scowled and lowered his voice. "I guess you don't really care about anything like that."

Sousuke inhaled slowly. "No one has ever…" He stopped. "There has never been anyone in my life worth caring for."

Ichigo couldn't take it anymore. "Well, I guess I'm not rational. I guess I'm willing to throw away everything I've ever known to try to—" He fell silent.

_"..to save the world from someone who was willing to destroy it, someone who was willing to kill my family and friends and everyone I've ever known," _he thought.

Sousuke gazed at him with huge brown eyes that for once seemed to have some kind of emotion in them.

He was probably putting on another act. Ichigo stomped away.


	4. Book I - Chapter 4

**Operation: Big Brother Ch 4**

(Originally published 7/19/2014.)

XxXxXxX

The afternoon sun lay in dusty golden swathes over the Academy courtyard. It was likely one of the last pleasant days of fall, and the students were taking full advantage. Groups were sprawled across the few small patches of grass, snoozing or studying. A few had decided to climb the old oak tree in the center of the courtyard. Others clustered around the battered wooden tables in the east corner, sharing juice, sake, and loud conversation.

Ichigo lay on the grass, a book covering his face, letting the words of the passersby wash over him as he dozed.

"Did you hear what happened to Mitsuru?"

"What?"

"He got attacked by a hollow and almost killed."

"What! How? Is he gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, he's in the Squad Four hospital now. It's kind of strange. He was out in the forest, and he must have had some hollow bait. Don't know how he got ahold of it, but he was in a clearing with a small cage." The voice was scornful. "Don't know how he thought he could trap a hollow in a cage. Anyway, the hollow bait performed as expected, and several of them were attracted to the idiot, whom they then proceeded to smash into bits. It's lucky for him one of the Squad 9 patrols happened to be passing by."

"What was he doing out in the forest?"

"Hah! He won't say. He claims he didn't know about the hollow bait — he must be lying, of course — and when he was questioned he insisted that he had been there with another student." He snorted. "But it turns out that other student was taking a test at that very same time. So clearly he was doing something he wasn't supposed to."

The students moved away, still talking, and their comments gradually faded away. Ichigo thought dimly that he should get up, that there was something he should be doing, but he was so drowsy… There was nothing around him but the muted buzz of the crowd of students talking, and it was warm and pleasant…

Ichigo woke with a start. The air was cooling rapidly, and most of the students were gone. He hadn't meant to doze off. Judging by the angle of the sun, he had missed his last class. He got up and gathered his belongings quickly. He hesitated, glancing in the direction of his classroom building, wondering if it would be worthwhile to walk in forty-five minutes late. Then he shook his head and headed in the opposite direction.

He strode through the gathering darkness in the streets of Seireitei. A brisk wind nipped at his heels, blowing his hair into his face and swirling his robes. The air was redolent with the winey scent of autumn leaves.

He took a brief glance around. No one was in sight. He gave a quick bound and landed lightly on a neighboring rooftop. He crouched, practicing hiding his reiatsu. Below him ran one of the main thoroughfares of the Seireitei, not far from the Academy gate, and he had an excellent vantage point of all the students just leaving their final classes, walking to the dorms only a block or so away.

He watched them as they headed home in clumps, laughing and chattering. One student, though, was walking alone. Sousuke was plodding head down, his nose buried in a book. He shuffled slowly along the darkening street, his dark head bent, every now and then turning a page. Ichigo shook his head. For someone who would become hyper-cautious as an adult, he certainly was completely oblivious to his surroundings and unaware of any danger.

And from where Ichigo was standing, he could see a student in a sixth-year uniform waiting just behind an alley wall up ahead. He was holding something in his hands, but Ichigo was too far away to see what it was.

He frowned. In just a few weeks at the Academy he had already noticed that Sousuke never went out drinking with other students or joined in any of the various athletic competitions, preferring instead to focus on relentless practice in the shinigami arts or reading. As a result, he appeared to be almost completely isolated. The combination of isolation and his academic prowess had made him a target for bullies, and it looked like one was lying in wait for him.

Ichigo squinted. Something about the waiting student's movements looked familiar. The youth shifted and Ichigo saw the flash of a toothy grin.

He sighed. What was Hirako Shinji doing picking on little Sousuke? He didn't think his friend was really the bully type.

The boy below continued his slow, irregular approach. Every now and then he paused, riveted by some fascinating piece of knowledge in his book. With one thin finger, he pushed his new pair of glasses up his nose. Ichigo wondered briefly where he had gotten the money to buy them.

Sousuke turned another page. Ichigo debated with himself whether he should warn him. But surely Shinji was not a true bully, and would do nothing to harm the younger boy.

Still — Ichigo crept closer, ducking behind a balustrade, cautiously raising his head to peer out from behind it.

The boy was almost abeam the corner where Shinji was secreted. Ichigo heard Sousuke's sandals scuffing through the gravel. The hem of his slightly-too-long robes dragged in the dirt.

As he passed the corner, the older student was on him in a flash, and Ichigo saw what he had been holding — a couple of pie tins filled with whipping or shaving cream. One after another the pies sailed, hitting the smaller boy in the face and shoulders, spattering pale white cream all over his face and down his uniform, knocking the book out of his hands to fall face down in the dust.

Shinji doubled over with laughter, slapping his thighs. "Ha, Aizen, good one, huh? I got ya that time!"

There was utter calm on Sousuke's face as the boy completely ignored Shinji, slowly wiped his eyes with two fingers, and shook the cream off his hands. With a corner of his robe he wiped the rest of his face clean. He picked up his book, the pages coated with white goo and dust, and attempted to wipe it dry with another section of his robes.

"Hey Aizen!" shouted Shinji. "Ya really oughta pay more attention to yer surroundings. What if it had been a hollow? A good shinigami is always alert."

Sousuke said nothing. He picked up his glasses and tried to wipe them clean without much success.

"Hey, c'mon, say somethin'," called Shinji. "Ya know, you'll really be happier if ya learn to laugh at jokes, even if they're on you."

Sousuke raised his dark head and gave Shinji a penetrating stare. He made no reply, but brushed past the older boy, walking faster now as he headed toward his dorm room, holding the book with two fingers.

"Sheesh," called Shinji after him, "at least, say somethin'. Are ya mad? Do ya want me to stop?" When he received no response, he shook his head and muttered to himself, "That Aizen kid sure is creepy."

Ichigo jumped down from the roof and landed lightly in front of him. "You shouldn't have done that," he said, folding his arms and scowling.

Shinji spun to face him, grinning his toothy smile. "Oh, hey, carrot-top," he greeted Ichigo. "Or should I say strawberry-top?"

"Shut up," said Ichigo without heat. "Why'd you do that to him? Did he ever do anything to you?"

Shinji gave him an incredulous look. "Yeah! Acted creepy is what he did. Somethin's off about that kid. Didn't you see how he stared at me with that dead-fish kinda look?"

"You attacked him."

"It was a harmless prank! He needs to lighten up, learn not to take himself so seriously. He acts like he's some kind of god or somethin'."

"You messed up his book and maybe his glasses, and definitely made a big mess of his robes," Ichigo pointed out. "Not altogether harmless. Although, at least whipping cream is kind of tasty, sweet and rich. Sousuke could use some fattening up; he's way too thin."

Shinji looked offended. "What? Whipping cream? Waste good stuff on that kid? Naw, it was shaving cream. Costs much less."

Ichigo shook his head. "Hundreds of thousands of people will die one day because you're cheap."

"Huh?"

"Never mind."

Shinji continued defensively, "Besides, it's educational. Pranks are fun, they teach you to laugh at yourself. I'm trainin' him to be a better person. Isn't that what a teacher does?"

"Some people might think it was kind of mean-spirited."

"Aw, where's your sense of fun?" Shinji laughed.

"Shinji, he's twelve years old!" retorted Ichigo.

"But he's already a hopeless nerd!"

Ichigo only shook his head. The other shrugged, picked up his empty pie tins and sauntered up the street in the direction of the sixth-year dorms. Ichigo regarded him with annoyance. Shinji really didn't get how much Sousuke was bothered by his actions. The two were like oil and water.

Shinji had passed the street lamp at the end of the block when it happened. Ichigo's head whipped up as he sensed something amiss, and Shinji snapped to alertness as well.

It was a kidou trap, a spell that had been left on the street and was set to be triggered by a person walking over it. A cage of black spears of energy appeared all around Shinji. It snapped shut around him, piercing lances emerging on all sides. He cried out hoarsely as the spears penetrated his body, splashing blood against the wall.

Ichigo was already running down the street, shouting to a passerby to run to Squad Four for a medic. He fell to his knees beside Shinji, lying senseless on the gravel. Blood leaked out from multiple wounds and pooled in the dirt. Ichigo's healing abilities were minimal, but he knew enough first aid from his work in the clinic that he could attempt to stop the bleeding. He tore off strips of cloth from his own robes and began to bind Shinji's wounds. "Come on, come on," he muttered under his breath, "you're too much of a jerk to die."

He looked up with relief at the sight of several healers converging on them. Quickly and efficiently they healed the worst of Shinji's wounds, loaded him up on a stretcher, and ran off to the hospital.

A pair of city patrollers arrived to question potential witnesses. Ichigo heard one man describing a pale, overweight kid in a Shinigami Academy uniform who had been seen scurrying away from the scene. Another officer carefully scraped the remnants of the kidou trap into a sealed container. Ichigo couldn't help wondering where Sousuke had been, but he certainly had neither seen him nearby nor detected any reiatsu traces.

Later, he heard several of the students laughing about how Sousuke had come in to the dorm all sticky from the cream and had spent a couple of hours bathing and washing his clothes. Everyone remembered exactly where he had been during the time the kidou trap had been sprung.

It was a perfect alibi.

It was announced the next day that they had caught the culprit the eyewitnesses had seen and had matched him to reiatsu traces on the trap itself. It was the young noble in their class, Omaeda Takeo.

XxXxXxX

"Hirako-senpai is going to be okay, right?"

"Yeah. He's supposed to make a full recovery. Good thing they caught that bastard Takeo."

"Did they ever find out why he did it?" asked the first student.

The other student shrugged. "Hirako-senpai was a teaching assistant for his class. Maybe Takeo didn't like his grade." He paused. "Do you know how they figured out it was him?"

The first student laughed. "The idiot left his reiatsu signature all over the spell. Wasn't smart enough to even try hiding it."

The second speaker shook his head. "Pretty dumb."

"He didn't even create the spell; he bought it at this sleazy dive in lower Seireitei. They found cash with his reiatsu on it in the till."

The second speaker whistled. "Just stupid."

"And brazen. The kid kept denying it, insisting on this really stupid alibi, claiming he was at a bar with a dozen other people." He shook his head. "But somehow none of them remembered Takeo being there that night. Plus two eyewitnesses put him running away from the scene of the crime."

The second student rolled his eyes. "I hear he kept trying to get his family to bail him out. But attempted murder is a serious enough crime that even noble blood can't get you off."

"What's going to happen to him?"

"Scheduled for execution, what do you expect?"

"Couldn't happen to a nicer guy."

XxXxXxX

Ichigo parried a blow from Sousuke's sword and leaped backwards. "You know, it's kind of strange," he panted, as he jumped sideways to evade another blow and attacked, "that of the three kids who bullied you, two are in the hospital, and one is in jail for putting one of the others in the hospital."

Sousuke spun his blade and ducked under Ichigo's guard, stopping a hair's breadth from his throat. "Point to me," he called, withdrawing the blade as they disengaged. "And what do you mean, strange? That it might be some sort of divine retribution, evildoers receiving their just deserts?" He shrugged. "I don't believe in that. I think it was just bad luck on their part."

"Bad luck? Or," Ichigo said slowly, "the results of a carefully-laid plan." He eyed Sousuke closely, but could see no betraying glimmer in the other's eyes.

"What are you saying?" Sousuke asked mildly.

"It seems too convenient to be true," Ichigo said bluntly. "I'm wondering if you had anything to do with it."

Sousuke's eyes widened. "Me? How could that be? I wasn't anywhere near any of them, and I thought the evidence was quite clear."

"Mmmm," said Ichigo. "Maybe somebody could have manipulated events, tampered with the evidence."

"I saw the report. Somebody would have also managed to convince about twenty witnesses to lie about what they had seen." He smiled gently. "Very unlikely."

Ichigo stared at him. It had all the hallmarks of Kyouka Suigetsu and one of Aizen's convoluted plans, from the way he had appeared so oblivious while reading that book to the multiple witnesses establishing all the key players at the appropriate scenes. He was about to burst out with what he knew about absolute hypnosis and Aizen's zanpakutou, but then he stopped. One corner of his mouth twitched. Sousuke's attitude must be rubbing off on him after all the time they had spent together. Instead of just blurting out the truth, he was stopping and considering the consequences of his actions.

If he told Sousuke exactly what he knew, his cover would be blown and his mission would be in danger. But what if he came up with an alternative explanation for how he knew?

"I've never told you about the true power of my zanpakutou," he began slowly, and was gratified to see Sousuke's eyes widen. "I've told everybody that it's simply an extraordinarily strong melee weapon. But it has an additional power: the ability to sense someone's heart in their weapon." He paused, making sure he had Sousuke's full attention. "This includes sensing and understanding their zanpakutou's abilities."

Sousuke said softly, "I thought all shinigami had the ability to sense another's feelings to some extent. But it only works if you are on more or less the same level as your opponent. And I've never heard of being able to sense a zanpakutou's abilities." His eyes had narrowed and Ichigo could sense his reiatsu heaving beneath his strict control.

Ichigo shrugged. "New abilities are discovered all the time." He held Sousuke's eyes with his, could sense his active mind churning with thoughts, ideas, plans. "Besides, I think we are on the same level."

"Are we?" Sousuke asked quietly. His voice had become eerily calm.

Ichigo nodded, then hesitated. Everyone in the Academy had been so flabbergasted that a couple of first-year students already knew the names of their zanpakutous that they hadn't questioned either of them or tried to analyze their powers in more detail. So as far as he could tell, this idea for the power of his sword wasn't implausible. "I can sense that your zan isn't water-based, like you've told everyone. It has another, stronger power." He paused, his own sword hanging loose in his hand. How would Sousuke react to learning that someone else could see right through his power? Would he consider him a threat? Maybe, but Ichigo decided to just go for it. "Your sword is an illusion-based zanpakutou. You can control the senses of anyone you wish in any possible way. That could easily include fooling witnesses into thinking they saw something they didn't."

Sousuke's eyes narrowed. "No one would believe in such a fantastic power."

Ichigo waved his hand. "Don't worry. I'm not going to tell anyone. I'm just letting you know that I know what it is. And personally? I think it's a cool power. And bullies need to be taught a lesson." He took a deep breath. "But you're overdoing it, Sousuke. Having this incredible power is one thing, but abusing it is another. Shinji was being a jerk, but putting him in the hospital for a prank was going a little too far. And Takeo is scheduled to be executed!"

Sousuke stared at him. "I'm not saying I had anything to do with it. But if I did, what of it?"

Ichigo was exasperated. "Didn't anybody ever tell you the difference between right and wrong?"

Sousuke tilted his head. "In a word? No."

"Well, you need to learn."

"Why? As far as I can see, morality is only a limitation on one's actions."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Don't you realize that's a dead-end way of thinking? Humans evolved to be social beings. If you only think of yourself, you will inevitably be less successful than if you work with others and collaborate. Our strength, human strength, is in cooperation."

"That's a radical idea."

"No it's not! I read a book on the evolution of cooperation…" that came out in 1984, Ichigo realized. He scowled. "But it doesn't matter. It's common sense."

Sousuke eyed him with extreme skepticism. "Can you prove it?"

"Sure!" Ichigo's eyes lit up. "I'll tell you what. You and I cooperate, and I'll show you what it leads to. We'll teach bullies a lesson together. And it should be an appropriate lesson, in a fair and even fight." He glared at Sousuke. "For example, it would be better if Takeo gets expelled, not executed. That's the right punishment for his actions. As for Shinji," Ichigo rolled his eyes. "He really thinks he's being funny. What you've got to do is prank him back. And try joking around with him a little bit more."

Sousuke's lips thinned with distaste. "What Shinji thinks is funny is being kicked in the face by that fourth-year student with the two pigtails. Don't tell me you think I should stoop to something so crude."

Ichigo grinned. "Aw, come on. Wouldn't it be satisfying to smash his nose straight through his face?"

A reluctant smile spread over the younger boy's face. "Indubitably."

"Then we're all settled." Ichigo lifted his sword. "One more round?"

Sousuke gave him a penetrating glance. "Very well." He saluted Ichigo with his green-hilted sword. "But… are you saying that you believe my power can control everyone's senses (which I'm not admitting to, by the way), and you're not denouncing me to the Maggots' Nest?" His eyes were narrowed as he studied Ichigo's face carefully.

"Ugh! That horrible place? Of course not! You're my friend," Ichigo said, and realized to his surprise he was telling the complete truth. He had started this task as a mission, pure and simple, just charging in without thinking. He had not expected to ever really like the man who had threatened the lives of everyone he knew.

But getting to know Sousuke had come with some unexpected side effects.

"Is that what it means to be a friend? That you're willing to lie for them?"

"It means you're willing to die for them," said Ichigo firmly.

Sousuke stared at him, assessing his expression. "Even if they do something you consider wrong?" he asked softly.

"Especially then," Ichigo declared. "Then it's your job to kick some sense into their stubborn head."

"I had thought," Sousuke whispered, "that people chose you as a friend if you lived up to their ideal. That some people simply had the kind of inner self that nobody could understand, and if anyone could see who they truly were, they would be repulsed."

"No! A friend is someone you stand beside, no matter what."

Sousuke gazed at him with an expression Ichigo had never seen before on his face: confusion and bewilderment.

Ichigo scowled. There was a lot more to it, a lot more he had no idea how to put into words.

But friends could be family too. Sousuke was only twelve years old, just about the age of his sisters. His sisters were gone, but Ichigo was still a big brother. And what big brothers did was look out for their younger siblings. No matter what.


	5. Book I - Chapter 5

**Operation: Big Brother Ch 5**

**A/N:** **jusa18,** your analysis of Sousuke's suspicions is correct. And I would say his body is deceptively fragile. Remember that Gin, although looking like a puny child in chapter -105, easily defeated a strong adult, a 3rd seat. The image we saw of child!Aizen in chapter 422 depicted him with a similar physical build but indicated he was already very powerful.

(Originally posted 7/25/2014.)

XxXxXxX

"This is juvenile. I don't see how you talked me into going along with this."

They were walking along a grimy, crowded street in lower Seireitei piled with rubbish. Colorful, shabby storefronts lined both sides of the narrow road. Ichigo grinned. "This is exactly the kind of experience that every student should have." Up ahead he saw his target, a narrow window splashed with bright red and blue lettering: Suzuki's Joke Shop. "That's it!"

Inside the shop, Ichigo browsed among the crowded shelves as Sousuke hung back and would have looked uncomfortable if it was possible to see that kind of expression on his serene face. If it wasn't that botox hadn't been invented yet, Ichigo would have been sure the kid had gone in for a few injections.

He rummaged through haphazardly arranged packages. "Aha! Perfect!" Ichigo exclaimed as he tipped a small box off a shelf and showed it triumphantly to Sousuke.

The younger boy sighed quietly, but took it and went to the front counter to pay. Ichigo made a note to himself that he was going to have to ask Sousuke where he got his money.

On the other hand… maybe he didn't want to know.

XxXxXxX

Classes continued to be boring. If it hadn't been for all the training he was doing with Sousuke and the ethics lessons he was trying to sneak in on the side, Ichigo wasn't sure how he would have gotten through the year.

On the plus side, some of the basics in reiatsu control and use of kidou were ending up being very useful since his own training with Urahara and his dad had been… spotty.

Ichigo yawned as he entered his afternoon class on strategy. Shinji was out of the hospital and back to normal, and seemed to have taken over the class permanently as no one seemed to know what had happened to their regular instructor.

Entering the class, he stopped suddenly. It was still early so only a few of the students were in the room. Sousuke was out of his seat and sprinkling some black powder on the teacher's chair. Ichigo's eyes widened. After their visit to the joke shop, Sousuke hadn't done anything to indicate he was going to play a prank and Ichigo had eventually concluded that the boy had decided it was beneath his dignity.

Ichigo couldn't help a tiny smirk. Sousuke wasn't even using Kyouka Suigetsu. As the rest of the students filed in, there was some muffled whispering and giggling as the newcomers were enlightened as to what to expect that day.

Shinji came bounding into the room. "Okay, class, let's open your copies of 'The Art of War' to chapter 1." He hitched his hip up onto one side of his chair.

"All warfare is based on deception," Shinji read. "Now what does that mean? Anyone care to discuss?"

There was silence for a long moment as Shinji peered around the room at the students who were all assiduously avoiding eye contact. "Man, comin' to class when no one has done the readin' is always such a pain."

Sousuke raised his hand, and Shinji gave a toothy sigh. "Yeah, Aizen, you'd know all 'bout deception, wouldn' ya?"

The boy's face was sober and formal as usual. "The skill of a commander is measured by how well he is able to conceal his movements and capabilities from the enemy."

"That's theoretically correct as usual," Shinji nodded. "Now, anyone else wanna comment 'bout what it means in practice?" He scratched his behind unconsciously. "Hayashi? Don' ya think it's more honorable to announce yer presence to the enemy openly?"

The burly student sat up suddenly. "Uh," he mumbled, shooting a wide-eyed, helpless glance at his neighbor across the row, "…yeah? Yeah, I do. We wanna be honorable, don't we?"

Shinji's fingernails attacked the back of his robes and several of the students coughed. "Nope! Try again! Hey c'mon, I know ya haven't done the readin', but this is actually kinda practical an' useful for ya guys to learn. Anyone else? Can anyone say what the Shinigami Academy motto is on this subject?"

Sousuke raised his hand again but Shinji ignored him. "Anyone?" He paused and wriggled his bottom uncomfortably. "It begins, 'Do not seek out beauty in battle...'" He let the words hang, scanning the class. "Anyone remember the rest?" No one said anything, although a few more students appeared to be choking and coughing.

A pained look crossed Shinji's face as he bumped up against the desk. Unable to stop himself, he started rubbing himself on the edge. A student in the back row giggled out loud, and then smothered it. There was an outbreak of choking as Shinji, exasperated, dug his fingers into his robes and scratched with a will.

His eyes widened with sudden realization. He glanced down at the seat of his chair and ran a finger over it, and sniffed the black powder that came off on his hand. When he faced the class his expression was stern. "Awright, who's the guilty party who's showin' disrespect to their teacher?" His eyes searched the room.

The students froze. One of the teachers had expelled a student for 'showing disrespect' only two weeks ago. Several students immediately became extremely interested in their notes. A few tried to gaze innocently out the window.

Ichigo saw Hayashi surreptitiously lift a hand and point at Sousuke, where only the teacher could see.

Shinji's eyes tracked the pointing finger. His face darkened and he sucked in his breath. "Aizen!" he bellowed.

Sousuke straightened in his seat. "Thank you for calling on me." He smirked. "Do not seek out virtue in death. Do not think of your life as your own," he intoned. "If you desire to protect that which must be protected, then cut down your foe from _behind_." He subtly emphasized the word 'behind.'

Shinji stared at him for a minute, jaw half open. There was a long, tense silence in the classroom. Ichigo looked back and forth between the nervous students and Shinji's deadpan face. Sousuke, as usual, showed no signs of anything other than calm amusement.

Then suddenly a giant, toothy grin spread all over Shinji's face and he began guffawing. "Ha ha ha, cut down your foe from _behind_, eh?" He gave another huge belly laugh. "Ha ha, good one, Aizen. Ya got me good. I'm proud of ya. What was it, itchin' powder?" He shook his head, still grinning. "Class dismissed, so some of us can take a shower."

As the relieved class gathered their belongings and began to file out of the classroom, he gave Sousuke a hearty clap on the shoulder, still chortling. "I guess there's hope for ya after all."

He turned and gave Ichigo a huge wink.

XxXxXxX

A few nights later, Ichigo had some time off, and decided on a whim he needed to get far away from the city. Suddenly he had the urge to visit the outer districts of Rukongai. Sousuke had come from Inuzuri, as had Renji and Rukia, yet he had never seen the place that had produced several of his friends. He knew there would be no one there he knew, but he was feeling an odd combination of melancholy and frustration and just needed to get away.

He had had a particularly unsatisfying conversation with Sousuke that day. They had been tidying up the training room after a vigorous session. "You did a great job with that prank on Shinji," Ichigo congratulated him, grinning. "_That's_ the way you get back at someone."

Sousuke picked up a polishing cloth and gazed at him soberly with what almost appeared to be sorrow in his eyes. "I saw that he seemed to approve," he acknowledged.

"Yes! Don't you see, that's how to make friends, by joking and having a good time with them."

"Shinji will never be my friend," Sousuke said. "He will never accept my true self." He finished polishing one of the wooden swords and placed it back in its holder. His hair was even messier than usual, curly at the ends and sticking out every which way, bangs flopping over his glasses. He shook his hair out of his eyes and picked up another practice sword.

Ichigo scoffed. "Why don't you give it a chance? Give him a chance?"

"What happened today is meaningless and trivial. Shinji still dislikes me. He knows it's just an act." He turned to stare directly at Ichigo, brown eyes wide. "If _you_ knew what I was really like, what I was really capable of, you yourself wouldn't want to spend time with me." He took off his glasses to clean them and with one hand swiped his bangs off his forehead. One lock fell between his eyes, and for a moment it was so reminiscent of his Las Noches overlord look that Ichigo shivered.

Once more he remembered what he had felt in Aizen's sword during the battle, the desperate yearning for understanding and companionship, the hopeless despair that there would never be anyone like him, never be anyone who would want to understand him.

He scowled. "I thought I told you already. I'm your friend no matter what." He fell silent as he watched the boy polishing another sword with a little more vigor than necessary. He already knew what Aizen was capable of. But being capable of evil was not the same as actually doing evil. That was the error the Soul Society of this time had made and even institutionalized with the Maggot's Nest. Sousuke was as much a product of his time as anyone. How could he get the message across?

"And I wouldn't call it 'hiding your true self,' but rather 'making better choices in life' or 'overcoming your baser instincts.'"

Sousuke lined up the racks and pushed them to one side of the room. He avoided Ichigo's gaze. "I suppose it doesn't really matter," he said softly. "I have to go study in the library. I'll see you tomorrow." He had walked away, leaving Ichigo staring after him in frustration.

Hiking along the old road deep into the forest had been calming. Inuzuri was some distance away so Ichigo was able to spend some time losing himself in the rhythmic and satisfying use of his muscles without shunpo.

Night had fallen before he reached his destination, but there was a bright moon and he had brought a packet of food and a bedroll. He planned to bed down in the forest and resume his journey early in the morning.

Just as he was thinking it might be a good time to stop and rest for the night, he raised his head and frowned, slowing his pace. There was a reiatsu-concealing field ahead and to the left, very subtly interlaced with a repellent, a spell that was nudging him gently in the opposite direction. It would not have been apparent to anyone of lesser power, but it immediately intrigued Ichigo. What could be out here, in the forest near Inuzuri, that required a reiatsu shield?

Carefully, using the techniques he had been practicing, he drew in his natural reiatsu and furled it tightly. Then, drawing his sword, he slipped noiselessly through the trees ahead.

After a few minutes he found himself behind some thick brush. In the moonlight, he saw a large clearing up ahead. Ducking behind the shrubbery, he peered out between two branches, using his power to sharpen his sight and hearing.

A small figure stood at one end of the clearing, dressed in black shinigami robes. Surrounding him were about five or six barefoot street urchins of various ages. Ichigo drew closer and focused.

A man in ragged clothing was lying on the ground in front of the group, his arms and legs bound with kidou ropes. He spat to one side on the dirt, and the small shinigami flicked a finger and the spittle rebounded on the man's face. Choking and cursing, he struggled with his bonds.

"Why th' fuck should I do what you say?" he growled. "You're just a fuckin' kid, and I work for Rokuro, who controls everythin' around here."

"I'm more than just a kid; I'm a shinigami," said a soft voice, and Ichigo started. It was Sousuke. What was he doing out here, and what was going on? He squeezed further into the shrubbery.

Sousuke continued speaking in that soft, gentle voice. "I think by now you should have realized that brute force is not everything. Sometimes guile and subterfuge are far more effective." He paused, watching the man carefully. "For example, there was a theft in your village last week, a valuable sculpture stolen from a wealthy council member."

The man sneered. "Yeah, so? What's that got to do with me?"

A cold smile touched Sousuke's lips, not reaching his eyes. "I suppose I must spell it out for someone of your low intelligence. So, Nobu here is an accomplished thief." He indicated a small, skinny boy in filthy rags squatting at the end of the line. The child stirred and grinned, showing several missing teeth. "It may not have occurred to you that a thief can leave items behind as well as removing them from the premises." Sousuke's lip curled. "I know where the squalid dwelling you call home is." The man's eyes narrowed, and he struggled with his bindings.

Sousuke's smirk deepened. "Ahhh," he mused. "There are so many ways to incriminate you. Someone could easily place a certain item within your hut. Then — an anonymous tip to your employer, and…" He let the words trail off, eyes focused on the man's face.

"They wouldn't believe it! I'm trusted!" But even at this distance, Ichigo could see how the man's eyes darted from side to side and his voice took on an edge of desperation.

"Perhaps," Sousuke went on quietly. "But there are other powers within my grasp of which you know nothing."

"Yeah, I know you got shinigami powers, but so does Rokuro. And he's got shinigami working for him! You're a nothin'! As soon as I get free of these ropes, I'm gonna kill you!"

Now Ichigo saw moonlight on Sousuke's face. His expression was placid, but there was a glint of emotion in his dark eyes. "A nothing? I think not." He made a gesture with one of his hands and Ichigo sensed a heavy reiatsu flare coiling within him, ready to strike. It spiraled up and around him, building and building, filled with a violent malevolence Ichigo felt all the way across the clearing. The group of children shrank back in terror from Sousuke's small figure that could command such power. A cloud of cold, dark energy emerged from the boy's hands, enveloping the man on the ground and splitting into a hundred black tendrils that wriggled their way into his skin.

The man gave a sharp, half-choked scream, and convulsed, the energy tendrils splitting again and spiraling under his skin. Blood poured out of multiple wounds, and strangely-shaped lumps bulged under the man's bare skin. His face became oddly distorted. Sousuke smiled slightly, and made a twisting motion with his hand. The speed of the tendrils' wriggling increased and the bizarre lumps crawled under the skin of his face and all over his body. The man screamed in agony. Ichigo could barely keep himself from running forward, reminding himself that the older man had just made a death threat against a child half his size.

The man gasped for breath in between ululating screams. He sobbed, begging for the pain to stop, and Ichigo's eyes were riveted to Sousuke's face, to the look of intense pleasure in his narrowed eyes. Could he have been so wrong? He had thought that a twelve-year-old could not be truly evil. But despite everything he thought he was doing to teach Sousuke right from wrong, how could it come to this? He had failed. Failed as a teacher, as a friend, and as a brother.

Just as Ichigo was about to burst in on them, Sousuke released the man. With a single flick of his hand, the kidou ropes vanished. The man lay panting on the ground, sobs shaking his body. He made no move to get up or escape.

"Well?" the gentle, implacable voice went on. "Have you come to your senses?"

The man shuddered. "Sorry… I'm sorry…" he rasped through a throat hoarse from screaming.

"You now agree to enter my employment, and swear loyalty to none but me?"

The man hesitated, and Sousuke raised his hand again with a dark smile, the power visibly coiling in the air.

"No!" the man gasped. "Don't. I'll do what you want. Whatever you want!" He took in a shuddering breath. "I swear… to serve you and none other…"

"Show me that I can believe you," the boy said, standing very straight. "Display to me your respect. Kneel and call me master and lord."

Several of the children in the ring shifted from foot to foot, and Ichigo could see an Adam's apple bobbing as one swallowed nervously.

Choking back a sob, the man fell to his knees and crawled forward. As the boy stood looking down on him, the man bowed with a low moan, brought his face to the dirt and kissed the hem of Sousuke's robes. "I will serve you, young master. I swear it… my lord."

Ichigo stared at Sousuke's face. Beneath his glasses, his eyes were narrowed and glittering. "You should know that I have left a small fragment of reiatsu under your skin. It will observe your behavior, and will report any disobedience back to me at once. Also, should I so command it…" His voice became a lazy drawl, replete with satisfaction. "It will release a poison that will mimic the pain you just felt."

"No need… for that..." gasped the man. "Please… I'm sorry… I promise…" He broke down and began weeping.

Ichigo couldn't take it any longer. He jumped out from behind the bush and ran into the clearing. "Stop it! Stop this at once!"

The entire group spun to face him. The biggest of the children lifted a stick. "He was spying on us! I'll kill him!"

"Wait," said Sousuke softly, his eyes on Ichigo. "There is no need for violence," he told the other boy.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Sousuke, torturing a man? What are you thinking?" Ichigo shouted.

Sousuke's face was as calm as if he hadn't just been caught red-handed in a criminal action. "Ichigo, do you know what this man has done?"

"Other than writhing in pain and screaming as you tortured him? No."

"He's the local crime lord's assassin, threatening and killing anyone who opposes his master's efforts. Oh, and by the way, he has a little side hobby that he likes to indulge in during his free time," Sousuke went on coolly. "He enjoys assaulting young village girls, like Hisana here. He prefers the girls no older than ten, ideally poor orphans with no one to speak up for them, so he can do what he likes without fear of consequences."

Taken aback, Ichigo looked at the little girl, no more than seven or eight years old, in dismay. "Is this true?" he demanded. Had he been too quick to condemn Aizen's actions as evil based on what he knew of his future?

The girl shrank back, hiding her face behind a curtain of straight black hair. Then, imperceptibly, she nodded.

"Doesn't anyone stop him?"

"When it's his word against hers? Surely you are aware of the status of poor village children in Soul Society."

Ichigo scowled. "But Sousuke, no matter what crimes this man has committed, two wrongs don't make a right! And now you're trying to employ him yourself! As what, an assassin?" He shook his head. "You should report him to the authorities."

"To the authorities? You mean, to the village warlord who authorizes his excesses?"

"Well, why not to the Gotei 13 then?"

"Do you believe the Gotei 13 cares about the peasants in the outer districts of Rukongai? Their lives are worth exactly zero to them."

Ichigo had to admit he was right, based on what he knew about the organization even in the present day. Hadn't Mayuri casually slaughtered 28,000 souls in the name of 'balance' and still retained his respected position? "Humph. Okay." He looked at the man still kneeling on the ground. "But you can't just torture people, Sousuke!"

The man jumped to his feet. "Yes, you should listen to him, Aizen-sama! You can't just torture people."

Both boys rounded on him. "Shut up!" they shouted in unison.

The man subsided. "Sorry!" he said. He raised a hand. "But, um, can I make a suggestion?" He turned to Ichigo. "Maybe you should just give both of us a hug."

"No!" both boys said again.

The man hunched his shoulders. "So, um, I guess I should get back on my knees again? You're not going to make me kiss the hem of your robes again?" he said to Sousuke. "Because if you don't mind, that was seriously creepy."

Sousuke rolled his eyes.

Ichigo said, "Wait! I know what to do." He turned to Sousuke. "Bind his arms with kidou – but don't hurt him." He grinned ferociously. "We're going to take him to someone who will know what to do with him."


	6. Book I - Chapter 6

**Operation: Big Brother Ch 6**

(Originally posted 7/27/2014.)

XxXxXxX

Ichigo led Sousuke, the small group of children, and the bound man to the Gotei 13 barracks. It was very late, and the streets of Seireitei were quiet. The gibbous moon hung low on the horizon, about to set. Sousuke's eyes narrowed when he saw Ichigo's destination, but he said nothing. The little girl had started to stumble on their journey, and Ichigo picked her up and carried her in his arms. She was stiff at first, but gradually she relaxed against him and fell asleep, her head resting on his shoulder.

Ichigo turned into the central courtyard of the 13th Division and pounded on the doors of the captain's quarters. "Hey Jūshirō!" he called. "Wake up! We've got an urgent problem for you."

Lights flicked on in the barracks, and there was a rush of pounding feet. A small blonde girl in a shinigami uniform appeared at a door, scowling. "Hey, what are you doing, disturbing the captain! He's not well, and he needs his rest!"

Another light flicked on, and from another door emerged a tall dark-haired shinigami with a goatee, wearing a white headband. "Shut up, Booger Breath!" he bellowed in a voice the rattled the windows of the sleeping courtyard. More lights began to turn on. "You're the one who's disturbing the captain. Look at all the ruckus you're making!"

Enraged, the girl leaped up and placed a well-aimed sandal right in the middle of his face, squashing his nose.

"Yeow!" he shrieked, swinging at her.

Ichigo backed away as the two began to engage in a knock-down, drag-out fight right there in the middle of the courtyard. Sousuke looked on calmly with a hint of bemusement, and the Rukongai children shrank back, clinging to each other.

Finally, Ichigo let out a short blast of reiatsu, and the two combatants stopped in mid-fight to gape at him. "Kiyone, Sentarō, stop your squabbling and go get Ukitake. We have an emergency for him."

Sentarō grimaced. "You're an Academy student. Do I know you?"

"_I_ don't know him," said Kiyone, jutting out her chin aggressively.

Ichigo waved his hand. "I'm Ichigo," he said, "and what matters is I know you two clowns. I don't want to say it again. Go get captain Ukitake, now!" He reinforced his command with another blast of reiatsu and the two shinigami scurried away.

An amused smile curled Sousuke's lips. "I've never seen anyone, much less a mere Academy student, manage seated officers that way," he said with approval. "How is it that you're still alive?"

Ichigo growled. "Shut up," he said without rancor.

The door of the Ugendō Quarters swung open and a tall, slender man emerged, yawning and shrugging into his captain's haori. Long white hair hung down his back to his waist.

"Hey Jūshirō, sorry to disturb your rest, but we have an emergency," Ichigo began.

Ukitake cleared his throat, still looking a little sleepy, and not at all put out by being addressed by his first name. "I'm sorry," he said in a gentle voice, peering at Ichigo. "I don't think I know you, but… you must be a Shiba, aren't you? You have all the physical characteristics of the family."

Sousuke's attention sharpened, and he narrowed his eyes and looked more closely at Ichigo.

Ichigo scratched the back of his head. Did he want to get into the nuances of being part of a family he didn't even know? No, better to leave it the way he had believed for the first seventeen years of his life. "No, I'm Kurosaki Ichigo, at your service. This is Aizen Sousuke; we're both Academy students."

Ukitake smiled. "Ah, now I understand — I've heard of you both." He glanced from one to the other. "The Terrible Two, they call you," he said, smiling warmly. "I understand you're both supposed to be captains one day."

Now it was Ichigo and Sousuke's turn to glance at one another in surprise.

Ichigo shrugged. "Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is that this man —" he indicated their captive, "is guilty of assault, human trafficking, and murder in the outer Rukongai, and nothing is being done about it." He set Hisana down on shaky legs. "This little girl is a victim, and I brought her here to testify." He crossed his arms over his chest. "These children demand justice."

Ukitake's brow furrowed in concern. "Kurosaki-san, these are very serious allegations. But if true, this man has much to answer for. Have you gone to the village elders?"

"The village elder is a criminal and this man works for him!" Ichigo shouted. "The Gotei 13 I know would not stand for such corruption!" He noticed an edge of cynicism on Sousuke's face, quickly smoothed away.

Ukitake hesitated, his gaze going between their captive and the young girl who stood looking at the ground, her hair falling over her face.

Kiyone, who had been gaping in silence at the midnight conversation between their captain and the motley group of strangers, puffed out her chest and shouted, "You louts! It's the middle of the night! How dare you disturb the captain with such a trivial matter!"

Sentarō, standing beside them, glared at her and retorted, "_I'm_ the one who was trying to keep these ruffians from waking the captain! You're the one who woke him up and disturbed him!"

Kiyone's mouth fell open in fury. "What? You went with me too when that orange-haired kid started ordering us around."

Sentarō retorted, "Yeah, and why'd you let him do that? He's only a student! And he was calling the captain by his first name! That's disrespect."

Ukitake interrupted softly just as they were about to start punching each other again. "No. He's right to have come to me." He nodded at Ichigo. "Very well. I will listen to your allegations. Kiyone, Sentarō, please set up the division courtroom for our guests."

"I'll get the room ready for the captain!"

"No, _I'll_ get the room ready!"

The two shinigami rushed away, bickering as they went.

The courtroom was a large, echoing hall with tall dark windows lining one side, benches and tables in the front, and rows of wooden chairs filling the center. Ichigo, Sousuke, and the children filed in. Their captive was placed at a table to one side, kidou shackles securing him to a chair. The man now looked thoroughly cowed, staring fearfully from Sousuke to Ichigo to Ukitake.

About a dozen shinigami from the 13th Division were also present, curious as to the impromptu trial that had roused them from their beds.

When they were all seated, Ukitake turned to Ichigo. "Now, Kurosaki-san, could you please start by giving us a statement?"

Ichigo hesitated. He glanced at Sousuke. "You're more familiar with the situation. Why don't you go ahead?"

The boy smiled politely. "Of course. Ukitake-taichou, we are sorry to disturb your rest. But this man, Furutani Gaho, has on several occasions committed heinous crimes in the village where these children live." He went on in his quiet voice for several minutes, detailing specifics of victims, locations, and motive for each crime. Ukitake's eyebrows began to rise at the detailed recitation. Sousuke's face remained expressionless throughout the recital.

Finally, he fell silent. There was no sound in the courtroom. Ukitake turned to the accused. "Furutani-san, you stand accused of multiple crimes against the rule of law in the Seireitei. How do you plead?"

The man, whose terror had been increasing with every calm word from Sousuke's lips, looked around him in panic. "I-I—" he stuttered. His eyes darted from Ukitake's, to Hisana's, to Sousuke's, and he quailed when he met the boy's eyes. "I can explain," he began.

He started a rambling, half-coherent diatribe about how he was a trusted servant of an important man and how everything he had done was for a reason and based on orders. Ukitake became increasingly distressed and started coughing halfway through his tirade.

"So you can see, there was a good explanation for everything," Furutani concluded.

"An explanation?" queried Ukitake from the judge's bench, incredulous. "You admit to all the charges but claim they were justified? What is your explanation for attacking little children?"

"No! I — no!" He looked around like a cornered rat. "I didn't do that! I would never — never — at least not anyone important, anyone that would matter to you, sir…" He stuttered to a stop.

"Well, the truth is easily uncovered," said Ukitake, after he had recovered from his latest coughing spell. It was clear he was angry, although he kept his voice calm. "Crimes of this type leave behind a reiatsu signature on the victim. I have been trained to perform this test." He gestured to one of the seated officers. "Please act as court recorder for this session."

He stood up and walked directly to Hisana. His voice gentled as he dropped to one knee in front of her. "Hello, young lady. My name is Jūshirō. May I have your name?"

"Hisana," she whispered, hunching her shoulders.

He smiled at her very gently. "May I have your permission to examine you? It won't hurt. You actually won't feel anything."

She gave a tiny nod.

He took a deep breath and placed one hand on top of her head, closing his eyes. There was utter silence in the courtroom. What he was doing was too subtle for Ichigo to feel, but he noticed that Sousuke was watching closely.

After a moment, Ukitake stood up. He inclined his head to Hisana with thanks, and then strode to the bench, his face dark with anger.

"The test is complete," he announced, "and establishes the accused's guilt."

There was a susurration of whispered conversation in the courtroom. Ukitake gestured to his officers, who rose, carrying kidou restraints. "By the authority vested in me as captain of the 13th Division of the Gotei 13, I hereby sentence this man to life imprisonment." He banged a gavel. "Court is now adjourned."

Outside the courtroom, Ichigo looked with satisfaction at Sousuke. "See? That's the way it should be done."

Sousuke's face was placid, but there was an uncharacteristic glint of anger in his eyes, something Ichigo had rarely seen. "They've had this simple test all this time? Do you know that I've been told that it's too complicated, it's too difficult to determine guilt, that it's one person's word against another."

"Well," Ichigo said, surprised at Sousuke's response. "I thought you'd be pleased. You won. Justice was served."

"Justice?" the boy said, coldly. "Yes, this once alone. What of the other children this has happened to? If this is Seireitei's example of justice, the way the world is, is rotten to the core."

Ichigo grinned suddenly. "You know," he said, "a very powerful man once said to me, 'only a loser thinks about the way the world is. A winner must always think of not the way the world is, but how the world should be.'"

"What?" Sousuke raised an eyebrow. "That's more eloquent than you usually are, Ichigo. I'll have to remember that quote."

"Yeah, you do that," said Ichigo, still grinning. "Besides, I'm proud of you, Sousuke. You're starting to care about other people, like that little girl."

Sousuke stared at Ichigo impassively. "What happened to her has happened… to others."

"Oh," said Ichigo, understanding what the boy wasn't saying. Given what he knew of Inuzuri, it wasn't surprising that so many young children were victims. "I'm sorry." The shinigami really needed to answer for their neglect. "So do you understand this was the right thing to do?"

"They say the 'right' thing to do is to follow the rules," Sousuke said in a tight voice. "I think 'right' and 'wrong' are meaningless. It's only about who has the power."

"Not only—" Ichigo began, but he was interrupted.

"I'm starting to understand more about what is going on and what needs to be done." Anger built in Sousuke's voice. "The people in authority ignore everyone below them. What of the Spirit King we're supposed to worship and obey? Why does he allow these injustices to occur, if he has unlimited power? A god should use his powers to make the world in his image. And if he doesn't take action, he doesn't deserve the trust his people have placed in him."

Ichigo stirred nervously. This was sounding an awful lot like the Aizen of his current time. "Rebelling against authority only works if you don't end up using the same methods that you found so unjust."

Sousuke scoffed. "All that matters is doing what it takes to win against these people."

"Then you won't really change the world. You'll just exchange one set of unjust rulers for another."

"If one is strong enough, one can make change. It's all about developing sufficient power."

"But you can't change the world alone," Ichigo warned. "You need friends and allies."

Sousuke's face darkened subtly. "Yes, no ordinary person can do it alone. This case came out the way it did because apparently you're a noble and you didn't tell me."

"Me? A noble?" Ichigo said, puzzled, his grin fading. "You mean that comment he made about me being a Shiba?" He shook his head. "Naw, I've heard that before. Apparently I'm the spitting image of Shiba Kaien, some noble officer here. But I've never even met the guy."

Sousuke's eyes were still narrowed. "What else are you not telling me, Kurosaki Ichigo?" He studied the older boy's face for a moment. "You addressed the 13th division captain familiarly, as though you knew him. You even knew the names of his seated officers. Yet they claim not to know you. What is your secret? It's past time to tell me."

"Me?" Ichigo asked again, but this time, he realized, Sousuke was getting uncomfortably close to the truth. And he was a terrible liar, while Sousuke was a known genius at reading people. This was bad.

"Uh—" he began.

"I wanted to thank you boys for bringing this matter to my attention." Ukitake had come up behind them. He placed his hands on both their shoulders. "I appreciate the difficulty you might have had."

Sousuke addressed Ukitake directly, his polite mask on his face once more. "Ukitake-taichou, the difficulty is that there are many more like this man."

Ukitake gave a long sigh that ended in a cough. "Unfortunately, I'm aware of that. All we can do is the best that we can."

"I could easily bring in a dozen or so of the worst offenders." Sousuke watched Ukitake carefully.

"I'm sorry; I can't authorize vigilante efforts. I'm sure you understand."

Ukitake was looking rather pale, Ichigo noted. He coughed again, and it turned into a coughing jag. He bent over and placed his hands on his knees. Sentarō and Kiyone came running over.

"Captain! The stress has been too much for you!" Kiyone glared at the two boys. "Can I send these two hooligans away?"

"_I'm_ going to send these bastards away," bellowed Sentarō. "Let me take you back to your bed!"

"No, _I'm_ going to take him back to his bed!"

Ukitake continued coughing and hacking uncontrollably, and Sentarō and Kiyone closed in on him protectively and led him away back to his sleeping quarters.

Sousuke watched coolly as he was led away. "You see? The privileged protect their own."

Ichigo winced. "Man, what does it take to satisfy you? You got what you wanted, didn't you?" Then his eyes narrowed. "Or didn't you? Maybe this was all a ploy for you to go all Lord of the Flies and start building up a little gang to do your dirty work."

Sousuke looked hurt, and slightly puzzled, and Ichigo realized he probably didn't recognize the literary reference. After all, the book hadn't been written a hundred years ago.

Sousuke said very softly, "I thought you said I should find friends and associates." There was an uncharacteristic expression of pain in his eyes, quickly masked.

Ichigo rolled his eyes in exasperation. Could he really have taken Ichigo's words so wrongly? "You don't find friends by blackmailing them into it or by starting a gang! You do it by helping people, by standing beside them, by joking around with them."

But Sousuke's eyes turned cold. "Joking around? Like you want me to do with Hirako? More meaningless, juvenile efforts with worthless individuals?" His face closed down. "Why am I even wasting my time with this? I have no need of friends." He shunpoed away, leaving Ichigo glaring after his figure as he disappeared off into the distance.

He was wondering whether he should go after him when he felt a tug on his sleeve. He looked down.

Hisana was standing at his elbow.

"Oh." He sighed, realizing Sousuke had abandoned them and he was now responsible for getting the kids back to their village. So much for his 'day off.' "You know, it's kinda late. Why don't you all bunk down in my room tonight and I'll take you back home tomorrow."


	7. Book I - Chapter 7

**Operation: Big Brother Ch 7**

**A/N:** This chapter turns more serious toward the end as we approach the climax of the story. But there are still a few warm and fuzzy moments. :)

And don't worry, we'll be back to humor and fluff by the next and final chapter.

(Originally posted 8/2/2014.)

XxXxXxX

Sousuke didn't return to Seireitei the next day.

Ichigo was torn between being worried about him and angry. It didn't help that he had passed an extremely uncomfortable night since he had let the three youngest of the village children sleep on his bed and use his blankets while he crawled up on the floor.

Then in the morning, he had to get them all fed breakfast, and that meant arguing with the cafeteria staff who maintained that non-students were not eligible to eat in the dorm dining halls.

"If your name is not on this list," insisted the woman at the cafeteria entrance, tapping a sheet of paper and sneering at the ragged group of children huddled behind Ichigo, "then you are not allowed to eat the food provided by the Shinigami Academy." She crossed her arms. "Period."

Ichigo sighed. Bureaucracy, it seemed, knew no temporal boundaries.

Finally, he got everyone fed and was leading them across the street to take a turn in the bathroom when Shinji happened by, spotted them and burst out laughing.

"Eh, it's Strawberry Duck and his little ducklings! Ya even got the orange beak!" he crowed, gesturing at Ichigo's spiky hair and the line of little children.

"Shut up, Shinji!" Ichigo paused. "By the way, do you know which division is responsible for district 78 in the Rukongai?"

"Sure! It's the sixth." Shinji gave him a toothy grin. "An' right over there is sixth division lieutenant Kuchiki Ginrei." He pointed. "Biggest stick in the mud north of the South Pole."

Ichigo followed his finger. A tall, slender man very close in appearance to Kuchiki Byakuya, right down to the haughty facial expression and fancy _kenseikan_, was promenading down the street.

"Wait right here," he told the kids. He sprinted to intercept the officer.

"Ginrei!" he called. "Hey Ginrei!" The man turned, every bit as shocked and offended at being addressed by his first name as Byakuya always was, with the same understated, elegant air of being affronted. Ichigo slid to a stop in the gravel directly in front of him.

"Boy, am I glad to see you. I understand the sixth division is in charge of patrolling Inuzuri?"

"Indeed, and why is that any of your concern?" said Ginrei, looking down his aristocratic nose at Ichigo.

Ichigo grinned. "I happened to be talking to Yachiru the other day, and she said the Shinigami Women's Association was getting ready to rebuild their swimming pool."

Ginrei paled. "No. Not that again."

"Well, I _might_ be able to redirect her toward the fifth division," Ichigo offered, "if a certain favor could be done for me…"

"Anything. Anything," begged Ginrei, shuddering.

XxXxXxX

Ichigo hurried back to the kids, a satisfied grin on his face. He had gotten Ginrei, however reluctantly, to agree to increase the patrols in Inuzuri and to promise to send a captain or lieutenant to supervise it personally. He hadn't even had to mention the Seaweed Ambassador. Congratulating himself on a job well done, he hurried the kids to the bathroom.

Finally, they were able to start the journey back. This time it went faster. He borrowed a horse cart, hitched himself to it, and flash-stepped all the way back to their home village.

The entire time, he couldn't stop worrying about Sousuke. When he got back to Seireitei around lunchtime, he found out that Sousuke hadn't shown up for any of the morning activities, nor had he signed in for breakfast or lunch.

No one knew where he could have gone. Nor did anyone really care. The boy was a loner, despite all Ichigo's efforts, and he really had no friends or even acquaintances besides Ichigo. As Ichigo rushed from building to building trying to figure out where Sousuke might be, he suddenly stopped.

"Kurotsuchi Mayuri!" cried Ichigo.

"Yes? Who calls my name?" asked the man, spotting Ichigo and slinking closer.

"Hey, you're just the brilliant scientist I've been looking for!" declared Ichigo. He looked the young man over. He looked somewhat human, unlike his future self, although there was still that deranged, vacant expression in his eyes. He had odd black bands around his eyes and what looked like headsets over his ears. "I bet you have surveillance equipment all over Soul Society, am I right?"

Mayuri started. "And what if I do?"

"I've been sent on a school project from the Shinigami Academy, to detect and track all the students," said Ichigo. "You know how to do that, don't you?"

Mayuri's eyes glittered. He muttered to himself, "At last! Someone who truly realizes that I am ahead of my time! Yes, it can be done with machines. Last month, I invented this machine called a computer, that runs programs called software, and just last weekend I created the iPad."

"Yes, yes!" Ichigo said, encouragingly. "I bet you've also invented face-recognition software."

"Why yes, how did you know?" mumbled Mayuri.

"Listen," said Ichigo, "I have a job that can only be done by an incredible genius."

Two hours later, Ichigo was still frustrated. Although he had seen far too much of the captain-commander clipping his nose hairs in his bathroom – and he really needed brain bleach after viewing two weeks of the nocturnal activities in Shunsui's bedroom – for some reason, Sousuke hadn't appeared anywhere on Mayuri's equipment.

Leaving the mad scientist cackling to himself in his tiny garret, Ichigo returned to his search. Time to go back to the old-fashioned method: running around and asking people. He admitted to himself he was truly flabbergasted by the degree to which Sousuke was isolated. He snorted to himself. No wonder he turned evil. It must have been a pretty lonely life.

Ichigo frowned. He was determined to change things this time. Not only for all of Soul Society and his friends, but also — especially — because of Sousuke himself. He remembered the emotions he had felt in Aizen's sword during that battle. Not only loneliness, but also a weary and bitter sorrow. A long-time, resigned sadness. The sadness of someone who had long ago given up.

During the few months he had been hanging out with Sousuke, the sadness had faded a little. It was almost as though sparks of hope had been lit inside Sousuke's dark soul, that he had started to believe there might be a chance of moments of happiness and companionship, that the world was not entirely a black and evil place, that there might be room for goodness now and then.

Ichigo scowled to himself. He would just have to stick very close and keep Sousuke from doing nutso things like he had seen him doing last night. He shook his head. Sousuke needed him, that was all. And he would be there for him.

After crisscrossing the entire Academy and several large parts of the city, Ichigo was catching his breath by one of the fountains when he suddenly had a brain flash: he remembered Sousuke had a favorite spot in the hills just outside the walls of Seireitei. It was a secluded clearing in the eastern forest, overlooking a small but perfectly round lake. Sousuke loved to sit on a natural ledge, a grassy nook shaded by trees just above the lake. The spot was private but still open.

That must be where he was. Shaking his head at his own obtuseness, Ichigo flash-stepped away, and soon found himself on a footpath leading into the forest.

It was an early spring day, fresh and cool, and pale green leaves dusted the long branches of the trees under a moist, overcast but bright sky. Tiny white flowers poked out from mossy beds on either side of the path, and the air was alive with bird calls and squirrels chittering as they jumped from branch to branch. The juicy scent of growing things was so pleasant that Ichigo found himself smiling despite his worry. No wonder this was one of Sousuke's favorite places.

Soon he found the turnoff leading towards the lake, and increased his energy flow to maintain his pace along the uphill track, jumping over long gnarled roots and thick spiny bushes that had overgrown the trail. When he finally reached the long, narrow, upsloping meadow dotted with vibrant magenta flowers below the final ridge, he slowed his headlong progress to a normal walk so that he could enjoy the setting. An erratic breeze ruffled his hair and the aromas from a variety of young plants tickled his nose. He took a deep breath, fixing the pleasant scene in his memory before he moved on. He clambered over the ridge and saw the lake spread before him, smooth and silver like a mirror in the calm air.

He reached out with his senses, trying to see if he could detect Sousuke's reiatsu ahead, but felt nothing. Still, he was convinced he was going in the right direction.

He turned sharply to his left and scrambled up the steep hillside, grabbing hold of tree roots and scrabbling fast over the pebbled ground to keep from sliding backwards.

At last he reached level ground, scrambled over a final rocky ledge, and there, on a grassy outcropping overlooking the lake, was Sousuke, looking very young and small as he sat at the edge of the overhang, hugging his knees to his chest, the brisk wind tugging at his messy brown hair.

He was gazing out over the silver lake, and Ichigo could see his profile dark against the grey sky. He had removed his glasses.

Ichigo released a little of his reiatsu to give him warning, and then walked over the long grass to his friend. He settled himself beside him. "Hey."

Sousuke looked up at him, brown eyes bare without his glasses. His eyes looked a little red and very bright. "Ichigo."

There was silence between the two of them for a few minutes. Ichigo scanned the lake. There was something about the smooth expanse of water that was exceptionally peaceful. He could feel his muscles relaxing and his heart rate slowing.

Sousuke said softly, "Have you come to tell me you can't be my friend anymore, now that you know what I'm like?"

"Wha—" Ichigo began, then ran a hand through his hair. "No, of course not!" He hesitated. "No, I— I wanted to say I was sorry. I shouldn't have made those nasty comments last night."

Sousuke pulled a blade of grass from the turf and twisted it around his fingers. "It's fine."

"No, really," Ichigo insisted. "I admit that I've always had a tendency to think the worst of you, and it's just not fair."

Sousuke tilted his head and looked straight into Ichigo's eyes. "Yes, for some crazy reason you seem to think of me as a villain of some sort. I can't imagine why. And yet you still seem to want to be around me. That's what I don't understand."

Ichigo felt the old exasperation rising. Sousuke always seemed to be right for the wrong reasons. "Why won't you believe that I like you and feel responsible for you?" he demanded. "I never said you had to be perfect."

"If I'm not perfect, my enemies will find a weakness that they can exploit."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Not again. I thought we'd gone over this before."

Now Sousuke was amused. "Are you truly telling me that I should cease striving for perfection?" he asked. "Haven't I seen you relentlessly striving to become stronger?"

"Yeah," Ichigo said. "That's because I have people I need to protect." He turned his mind away stubbornly from his sisters, his friends, all the people who were doomed to die in the future.

Sousuke eyed him. "It seems to me there really isn't anyone you need to protect here. All that was in the past."

Ichigo felt his ire rising again. It was the future, not the past, and Sousuke still didn't understand. "What about you?" he said pointedly. "Hasn't it occurred to you I want to protect you?"

Sousuke lay back on the grass and put a blade of grass between his lips. "Have I said that I need protecting?" he asked in a soft voice.

"You don't have to ask!" cried Ichigo. "I'm going to protect you even if you don't ask!"

Sousuke looked away and silence fell between them for a moment.

Then he rolled to one side and fixed Ichigo with his dark gaze. "I arranged it so the execution was stayed," he said softly.

"What?" asked Ichigo in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Sousuke gave him a gentle smile, shook his head, and rolled his eyes upward. "What does it take?" he asked the sky, mockingly. "I go through a tremendous amount of trouble to accomplish the task he asked of me, hours of casting detailed and precise illusions, all to do exactly what he wanted… and now he doesn't even remember what it was?" He rolled over. "No wonder I've never felt the need to obey a code of ethics."

Ichigo stared at him with his mouth open for a few moments until it finally hit him. "Takeo! You arranged that he wouldn't be executed after all!"

"Mm-hmm."

"Wow! That's great," Ichigo enthused. "That's awesome. Thank you." He grinned widely. One life saved, even if it was Takeo's worthless one, was a definite step forward. Were some of his ethics 'lessons' taking root after all? "Thank you very much. I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome," Sousuke said with a small smile.

"How did it work? I mean, you said it was difficult…"

"Yes, I had to work with many people in the judiciary to get the paperwork undone and the new process in place. But I finally completed it yesterday."

A genuine smile blossomed on his face, and Ichigo found himself returning it. They grinned at each other like a pair of idiots before Ichigo said, "So come on now, didn't it feel good?"

Sousuke gave him a blank stare. "Feel good?"

"I mean, is that like the first unselfish thing you've ever done in your life?"

Sousuke's mouth drooped in a mock pout. "Hmmm. Not the first." He made a great show of counting on his fingers. "Maybe the third— or was it fourth?" Then he laughed, an open, honest laugh that was so different from his usual deadpan expression that Ichigo felt warm right through. "It was my pleasure," Sousuke continued, "to do something for my friend."

Ichigo's grin stretched his face wider than Shinji's.

Sousuke's expression darkened slightly. "The only problem is that I had to expose myself somewhat. I trust that will not cause any issues."

"Nah." Ichigo waved a hand. "There's still due process, even here, so you don't have to worry."

Sousuke rolled over and gave Ichigo a piercing stare. "There it is again."

"What?"

"'Even here.'" The boy's eyes narrowed. "Ichigo, there's something about you, some deep secret, that I haven't yet been able to penetrate."

Uh oh. "Uhh…" mumbled Ichigo, mind racing frantically.

"I've known it for a while," Sousuke continued. "You frequently allude to this place as though you do not belong here, as though you're from somewhere else." He tilted his head. "I believe you mean me no harm, but it's disturbing that you're hiding something important from me. Given our long friendship, don't you think it's time to let me know your secret?"

Ichigo studied the ripples on the lake for a long time before he firmed his lips. He was right, he realized. It wasn't fair to ask Sousuke to trust him when he himself had been lying all along.

He ran a hand through his hair, making it stand up in spikes. "You're not going to believe me."

Sousuke examined him through narrowed eyes. "Try me."

Ichigo released a deep breath. "Okay." He paused. Where could he begin that didn't make him sound like a lunatic? "You see, uh…" He fell silent again.

"Are you from another universe?" Sousuke asked quietly.

Ichigo's eyes widened and he whipped his head around to stare at Sousuke. "What? What makes you think that?" How had he figured out that much? "No, no, of course not." Then he stopped. He was from the world of the living, did that count as another universe? He shook his head. "Not really," he hedged.

Sousuke's eyebrows lifted. "Now that is an intriguing answer," he purred. "Not of this universe, and yet partially of it?"

"Well, you see, uh…" He paused again and glared at Sousuke. "You have to promise that you won't laugh. I swear to you I'm telling the entire truth, no matter how unbelievable it sounds."

"Well, at this point I have ruled out all the logical conclusions, so I'm left with only the fantastical and illogical ones. Therefore I think you will find my mind to be quite open."

Ichigo sighed. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you figured out this much. But you're really not going to believe this." He took a deep breath, ran both hands through his hair, and turned to face Sousuke.

"I'm a time traveler. I came here from about two hundred fifty years in the future."

After that bombshell, Sousuke stared at him in silence for a while, eyes searching his face. "No," he said at last.

Ichigo gave him a lopsided grin. "See? I told you you wouldn't believe me."

Sousuke continued to stare at him, and Ichigo recognized the expression he wore when he was thinking furiously. He must be calculating this story against all the little things that Ichigo had done, the little errors he had made, all the things he had let slip.

"But time travel is impossible. It's merely fantasy. Have you been reading Urashima Tarō?"

"What's that?" Ichigo said, confused.

"The old legend of the fisherman who does a good deed and is 'rewarded' by being cast out of his time." He sneered faintly. "No good deed goes unpunished, after all."

"Never heard of it." Ichigo shrugged. "I don't really understand how time travel works myself, but we use magic that defies the laws of physics after all, almost as though we were in a manga, so is a temporal spell too hard to conceive of?"

Sousuke looked confused. "What's manga?" Then his gaze hardened. "Never mind. Let's not get distracted from the main question here. Do you have proof?"

Another shrug. "Not really, since I'm not even from Soul Society in the first place and I'm not that familiar with your history. But you've noticed it already. I know a lot of the shinigami personally in the future. That's why I call them by their first names."

Sousuke stared at him for a long moment, still calculating. "If one assumes that the impossible may be possible, then yes, it does fit with all of your behavior." His eyes narrowed again. "Unless you have been setting up an elaborate plot."

Ichigo scoffed. "Not my style," he said, and a smile flickered over Sousuke's face.

"True," he acknowledged. He eyed Ichigo more intently. "But even if it were possible," he continued, "why would you do it? Why would you come back to this time? Why…?" Ichigo began to see a dawning realization in his eyes. "You came back for me, didn't you?" Sousuke whispered. "To stop me…" Something began to burn in his eyes. "So I do accomplish some of the things I aspired to," he breathed, eyes glittering. "I knew no one could stop me… I am more powerful than anyone else in the Seireitei… that is, until you appeared."

Ichigo held up a hand. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, don't go jumping to conclusions. I didn't come back here to hurt you. But you're right that you make a lot of bad decisions in the future. Let me tell you, it doesn't go well for you." _Nor for anybody else, _he thought silently.

But there was a look of deep pain and betrayal now in Sousuke's eyes, something Ichigo had never seen there before. "You sought me out. That explains why you claimed to be my friend… you wanted something from me!"

"No!" Ichigo jumped to his feet. "I'm not 'claiming' to be your friend – I _am_ your friend. My feelings for you are real!" he insisted.

"Then why lie to me for so long? Why keep coming after me, insisting that you feel friendship for me, when the entire time you're deceiving me?" Sousuke was on his feet too, his eyes burning.

"Would you have believed me if I told you from the beginning?" Ichigo demanded.

Sousuke turned away. "Maybe." He turned back and glared at Ichigo. "You never gave me the opportunity! You told me a true friend was truthful. I told you the truth! I told you everything about me, all my secrets!" His eyes were furious and angry. "I opened up to you, made myself vulnerable, and for what? So you could use me for some unknown reason!"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Ichigo cried. "I've never wanted to use you! I only wanted to be your friend! I'm gonna explain everything. You have to listen—"

Just then there was the sound of heavy footfalls from the other side of the ledge, and about a dozen soldiers appeared over the rocks. They spotted the boys, and a cry went up. "There he is!" They drew their swords and began running.

Sousuke stared at Ichigo in shock. "That's the Omaeda family crest! They must've figured out that I was responsible for their son's imprisonment after I got him released." He narrowed his eyes. "I did it for you… did you betray me?"

"No!" gasped Ichigo, reaching for Zangetsu. "You have to believe me, Sousuke. I swear on everything that I've never betrayed you, that I've only wanted to protect you, that I see you as my friend."

Sousuke stared at him for a long moment. "I believe you," he said at last. "It would be out of character for you to betray me to the Omaedas. All right, I choose to trust you on this. Shall we stand together against these men? With the two of us, with our power, we have a chance against ten men. Alone, they would probably kill me. Will you stand beside me?"

Ichigo shook his head in disbelief. "For a genius, you sure can be an idiot sometimes. Of course I'll stand beside you. I'll give my life for you, Sousuke! Haven't you figured that out yet?" He drew both his swords and took a defensive stance.

Then the men were upon them. Hacking and smashing, they drove straight for Sousuke. "Vengeance!" one shouted. To Ichigo, he yelled, "Stand clear, boy, and we'll spare your life. We are only after the traitor there."

Ichigo bared his teeth and shouted as he gave a great sweeping blow with his smaller sword and plunged it straight into the breast of one of his opponents, "You'll have to get through me to get to him!" To Sousuke, he panted, "Stand back-to-back! That way they can't get around us, and we can't lose."

Sousuke dispatched one of the soldiers. "Of course, Ichigo," he murmured. He parried a blow and thrust deeply past another opponent's guard. The man pivoted and took the blow in the side, then leaped backward, and two of them came at him at once.

Sousuke's figure blurred, and all at once he was somewhere else. The two men suddenly turned and began fighting against each other. One grunted and jumped forward, inside the other's defenses, and slashed at the other man's neck, beheading him. As he shouted triumphantly, Sousuke appeared behind him and plunged his sword into his back. Kyouka Suigetsu, Ichigo realized in a dim part of his mind, and then he had no time to think as three men were attacking him all at once.

"Getsuga Tenshou," shouted Ichigo and swung his huge black blade with tremendous force, smashing two of the men into oblivion and leaving a crater in the ground where they had been. When the dust cleared, he looked up only to see one of the enemy, face contorted, about to smash his sword directly on top of his head. He ducked and the blow sliced into his arm, slicing off a strip of his flesh and spurting blood into the air. Brilliant, burning pain ran down his arm in a scorching line.

He gasped, his left arm suddenly hanging limp, and managed to take a step backwards while swinging his sword at the man rushing him. He connected mostly by blind luck, and the man gasped, clutched at his chest, gurgled, and slid to the ground as Ichigo pulled his blade loose. Blood coated the blade and dripped over the man's robes.

The captain of the guard came forward and faced Ichigo. "Don't think I'll be so easy to defeat!" he shouted. "Although I have no official rank, I have achieved bankai. I will now smash you into oblivion for the honor of our family! Bankai!" he cried.

All around them, the sky began to darken as a dozen or more huge rotating blades spun overhead, serrated like rotary chainsaws.

Ichigo panted and took a few steps backwards. Sousuke was just behind him, having finished off another couple of soldiers. He looked at the sky in dismay. Sousuke surely didn't yet have bankai. It was up to Ichigo.

"Bankai!" he shouted. He would defend both of them. He swung his blade in a huge arc.

But just at that moment, swirling colors began to appear all around Ichigo. The world around him began to dim, and the spinning colors increased in speed. They seemed familiar somehow.

Ichigo's eyes widened. It was the pattern he had seen when he had traveled through time. Was he being pulled back to his own time? "NO!" he shouted in desperation. "Not now! NOT NOW!" he screamed.

Sousuke had pulled back and was staring at him in shock. He couldn't leave him alone to fight the Omaeda officer's bankai. Not after all he had done… Sousuke would think he had betrayed him. He couldn't go.

He grabbed onto a rock with one hand. "No!" he screamed again. "I'm staying HERE!"

But the whirling colors were increasing in intensity and velocity. The world around him was dimming, and he was losing his grip on the rock. His hand closed on emptiness, and the clash of blades and the men shouting faded, became faint and far away.

"NO!" he shouted again. "Sousuke! NO!"

But the spinning colors obscured everything around him. There was nothing but brilliant, amorphous light all around them, and the sickening disorientation he remembered from his earlier trip through time.

The last vestiges of the clearing around the lake dwindled to nothing, and the last thing he could see before it completely disappeared was the dismay in Sousuke's eyes.


	8. Book I - Chapter 8

**Operation: Big Brother Ch 8**

**A/N:** Last chapter of Book I.

(Originally posted 8/9/2014.)

XxXxXxX

Ichigo stirred. He was strapped to a raised platform in some kind of lab. He could make out various pieces of equipment, benches littered with electronics parts, a table piled high with retorts and test tubes. He shook his head to clear it, but everything was fuzzy, and he couldn't seem to remember what had just happened. He looked at his unmarked arms, no sign whatsoever of the wounds he thought he had sustained. Was it his high-speed regeneration or had he just awakened from a dream? Or a nightmare, where Hat-and-Clogs had sent him into the past? He rubbed his eyes. Could that have been it? A doozy of a nightmare. An impossible, time-traveling nightmare.

He unstrapped himself, sat up, and swung his legs off the platform. Immediately he was overtaken by a wave of dizziness. He dropped his head into his hands, trying to focus. The last thing he remembered clearly was standing on the platform as Urahara claimed he was going to send him back in time.

And then… he also had a set of vague, dreamlike memories: as though he had spent months in the past, in the Shinigami Academy of two hundred and fifty years ago. Vague and strange memories…

He needed to get his head on straight, remember what was real and what wasn't. The memories of meeting young Sousuke and forming a friendship with the boy before he became an evil overlord seemed so distant and unreal. Did they ever even happen?

The lab swam around him and he blinked a little. It must have been wish fulfillment.

He now remembered the twenty-first century so clearly: the war against Aizen and Bach; people dying everywhere; watching his friends bleed out in his arms; Seireitei in ruins. They were desperate. Which was why he had agreed to Hat-and-Clogs' crazy suggestion.

He should have known it wouldn't work. He must have been knocked out by the side-effects and been unconscious, dreaming everything that he thought had happened.

He looked around, blinking, trying to bring everything into focus. It looked like Urahara's lab.

Two men approached from across the room. One of them wore a familiar striped hat and clogs.

"Welcome back, Ichigo!" shouted Urahara. In an aside to the other man, he muttered, "See? I told you it would work."

But something was different, very different from how he remembered Urahara's lab.

As he stared around the room, he realized the spirit particle density was higher than he was used to in Soul Society. It was a density he could only remember feeling once before. "Wait!" he cried. "We're in the Royal Realm!"

Urahara tipped his hat forward over his eyes. "Well, of cooooourse," he cried. "Where else would you expect the lab of the universe's most brilliant scientist to be?"

Before he could respond, Ichigo's eyes fell on the other man and opened wide. It was Aizen, fully outfitted in his undamaged Las Noches regalia complete with white robes and magenta sash as he had worn since the fight over Fake Karakura Town and after his escape from prison. Aizen, who had caused the deaths of so many of his friends and family, and who only last week had threatened to destroy not just Karakura but all of Japan if the Seireitei refused to surrender to him. The man smiled benevolently at him.

"What are you doing here?" he shouted, ready to reach for his zanpakutou.

Urahara looked puzzled. "Aizen-sama? Why wouldn't his majesty be here?"

"Wait— what?" Ichigo goggled. "His majesty? You can't be telling me he's the king! How did that happen? How long have I been out?"

A furrow appeared on Urahara's brow. "Of course he's the king. Ichigo, I better examine you – if you're having a memory fugue, there may be some brain damage from your experience. Not that I'm responsible, mind you," he added. "I did remind you I'm just a simple shopkeeper at heart."

"No!" Ichigo stared at Aizen. "The king? But – but you're wearing your Las Noches outfit."

Aizen looked down at his white robes. "Oh, you like my outfit?" he said, a pleased smile growing on his face. "I designed it myself. What do you think of the high collar? I think it lends me a real air of authority, don't you?"

Ichigo was speechless. "Uh…"

"Much better than the Gotei 13 uniforms." Aizen shuddered. "So boring and so much black. Oh, and that tag on the back of the neck?" He rubbed his neck, wincing at the memory. "The constant itching! It drove me crazy. I think if I had had to wear that thing for any longer I probably would have rebelled against all of Soul Society." He shook his head ruefully. "But now?" He glanced down at his robes with a satisfied smile. "These are made of the finest linen, and you probably didn't know, but white is my favorite color."

Ichigo just shook his head. "How did you become king?" he demanded.

Urahara and Aizen exchanged a glance. "Uh, Ichigo, why don't I prepare one of the hospital beds for you, and we can talk there," said Urahara.

Ichigo said, holding up a hand, "No, wait. Why don't you assume I don't remember anything for say, the past two years, and just fill me in."

Urahara and Aizen gazed at each other with growing unease. "I've been king since before then, Ichigo," Aizen said gently. "I was promoted to captain-commander fifty years ago, and became king not long after." He glanced at Urahara and said under his breath, "I suspect there may have been some changes to Ichigo's timeline. Hopefully it's that and not brain damage."

Changes to his timeline…

It wasn't a dream?

Had he really gone back in time and changed everything?

"You mean… it all really happened?" He scrubbed a hand over his face. "You and I..." He stopped and began again. "Sousuke made it out alive during that last fight? He didn't think I was betraying him, leaving him alone to face that guy's bankai?"

Aizen laughed. "I'm glad your memories are returning. Yes, I was able to defeat all the remaining soldiers that day. Remember, even without bankai, Kyouka Suigetsu is an extremely powerful zanpakutou. None of them stood a chance against me. And as to you disappearing?" He shrugged. "I knew it was not in your nature to betray me. I was both surprised and sad for a long time, but when you didn't return…" He smiled very gently. "I realized it was time to move on."

Ichigo shook his head, still unable to fully believe it had not been a dream.

"Ichigo," said Urahara, "One effect of time travel may be disorientation. Your memories of last week in this time may seem more real. But you have to realize that your timeline has shifted, and those memories no longer reflect reality. On the contrary, everything you did in the past did happen in the current timeline."

Ichigo rubbed his head slowly. He needed to find out more, to orient himself. "So," he continued, turning back to Aizen, "you were the captain-commander? What happened to Yama-jii?"

"Jūshirō and Shunsui convinced him to resign and make way for a new generation to lead the Gotei 13 into the next millennium. He had only held on for so long because he thought no other shinigami could rival him in strength." Aizen shrugged and a faint smile appeared on his face. "Then I came along."

Ichigo gaped. "So is he still alive?"

Both men laughed. "Yama-jii's too crotchety to die," said Urahara.

Aizen added, "He's got a very pleasant retirement cottage by the lake where he's still holding his monthly tea ceremony. He's a master at it, you know, and I always make sure to attend."

The thought of Aizen and Yamamoto having tea together instead of confronting each other over a crater devastated by the flames of Ryuujin Jakka took Ichigo a little time to adjust to. "It's a big step from captain-commander to king." He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "How'd you manage that?"

Aizen favored him with a gentle smile. "In the course of my dealings with the Royal Realm, I realized there was something wrong with the spirit king. I went to my old mentor Jūshirō, whom I trusted implicitly, and he and Shunsui and I confronted the spirit king and forced him to leave the throne. But the three worlds needed a lynchpin, and I was the obvious candidate."

"Your old mentor Jūshirō…?" Ichigo mumbled.

"Yes, surely you remember that momentous night when you introduced me to him?" Aizen appeared amused now. "You may not realize it, but that was a turning point in my life. Up until then, I had always assumed that all the upper ranks of the Gotei 13 were corrupt. But after you disappeared, Jūshirō took me under his wing. I went to him with all my stories of injustice, and he gave me the authority to act. He told me later on that he had been distressed by the corruption and injustice throughout Seireitei for many years, but due to his illness he was unable to take much action outside his own immediate sphere of influence. I became his right-hand man, his strong right arm, you might say. When I graduated I was made lieutenant of the 13th division, and as partners, we were able to root out many of the evils that had plagued Soul Society."

"Wait," said Ichigo, still struggling to process all this new information. "Lieutenant of the 13th? But what about Kaien?"

"Your cousin, Shiba Kaien?" Aizen raised an eyebrow. "He resisted promotion as long as he could, but after I left he finally had to give in and accept the position. He's still lieutenant today. The 13th is a good squad." He smiled fondly. "Working with Jūshirō – those were some of the best decades of my life."

Ichigo couldn't stop shaking his head. "I can't believe that Ukitake would work with you. Did he really know what you were like?"

Aizen laughed. "Well, he did call me a sociopath once." He sobered. "But he said that even sociopaths could become productive members of society, as long as they understood that working for the common good was in their own best interests. As you yourself told me so long ago, humans evolved to cooperate with each other." He smiled again, slyly. "Jūshirō taught me that power is given by one's underlings. It is the nature of all living things to find some being greater than themselves and place their trust in that being. That, after all, is how all kings are born, and how all gods are born. Given my abilities and ambitions, it made sense for me to work with others so that they would come to trust me and thus freely give me power and authority." He added, "I have you to thank for opening my eyes to the rationality of that process. Without you, I believe I would have been driven by my emotions to seek out only solitude. As it was, my own ambitions and what was best for the three worlds ended up coinciding."

Ichigo's head was still spinning. "All this doesn't quite fit in with the devious bastard I met in the Shinigami Academy." He lowered his eyebrows. "How do we know you're not just using Kyouka Suigetsu on everyone?"

"Casting illusions on the entire world?" Aizen inquired. "It would be a lot of work. I think most people don't realize how much effort and care it takes to craft a convincing illusion." He tilted his head. "Of course, my zanpakutou has a devastating power, and could easily have been used for great evil."

"If I remember right," Ichigo challenged, "in the Academy you were still telling everyone it was a water-based zanpakutou."

Aizen laughed, unrepentantly. "So I was. I actually continued the deception for many years, until one day I admitted the truth to Jūshirō. I couldn't stand deceiving him any longer after he had been so good to me; in the face of such implicit and utter trust. I thought he would be angry, but instead he understood completely. He told me very gently that he could see exactly why I would keep a power like that secret." He shook his head at the memory. "Jūshirō has always been far too trusting. He told me that he was absolutely certain I would use it for good." He looked up and met Ichigo's eyes with a faint smirk. "He was … _mostly_ correct." The smirk faded. "But he urged me to come clean with soutaichou. I resisted at first, but who can deny Jūshirō anything when he looks at you with that soulful, forthright gaze? There was something of a scandal, but with Shunsui and Jūshirō backing me, all was forgiven." He straightened. "We used the power to great success against enemies and criminals within Soul Society for many decades."

"Huh." Ichigo leaned back, thinking hard. "That must mean there was no war than…"

They both looked worried again. "You don't remember the Quincy war?" Aizen asked.

"Uh…"

"We fortunately had prevented the Quincy genocide in time by catching Kurotsuchi Mayuri and placing stricter controls on him despite the error that had been made in giving him a great deal of autonomy," Aizen said, shooting a glance at Urahara who looked slightly abashed. "But their former leader, Juha Bach, managed to whip up a dissatisfied faction into insurgency. They attacked us and were able to steal many of our bankais, and they caused a great deal of death and destruction in their initial offensive."

"What happened? Did they invade the Royal Realm?" Ichigo asked.

"No, why would I let them get that far?" Aizen replied. "Of course I came to the defense of Soul Society right away, and once they were all under my illusions, it was easy to pick them off. Additionally, with the help of some _slightly_ unauthorized experimentation that Kisuke had been carrying out, we discovered a 'poison pill' against the Sternritters' power." He smirked at the former shopkeeper.

Ichigo grimaced. "So it looks like you've gotten everything taken care of then. But… I still need to know… Why did you send me back in time?"

Urahara flipped open his fan. "Eh, in the course of my research, I had discovered an instability in the fabric of the universe that appeared to be centered around you, Ichigo. Your parents were living in Karakura Town since marriage between a shinigami and Quincy was still forbidden in the Seireitei in those days, and something was creating an unusually-high concentration of spirit particles in that community. I soon tracked it down to you. Ever since you were born you were causing an anomaly in the space-time continuum."

Aizen smirked again. "So we had you under surveillance since your birth, Ichigo."

Ichigo frowned. "How dare you spy on me?" he cried. "You're still the same, Sousuke, abusing your power as always, thinking the ends justify the means."

"We had to, Ichigo." Aizen's voice was gentle. "It soon became rapidly clear that if something was not done about the anomaly you were generating, the entire three worlds were going to fall into imbalance. We researched it and realized that you were the same person who had appeared at the Shinigami Academy so many years ago, and that in order to balance the universe, we had to make sure that you were sent back to that time. So, of course, I put Kisuke to work on a time machine."

"Ohhh…" Ichigo's head was spinning. "But –"

"Don't worry about a thing, Ichigo," Urahara said, folding his fan and shaking it at Ichigo. "Everything's been taken care of now and it's all back in balance. And you're safely back here! We can tell your parents now." He looked off to one side a little guiltily. "I, uh, admit I told a little white lie to Masaki in order to get you here…"

Ichigo shot to his feet. "What did you say? Masaki? My mother's still alive?" First, incredulity, then a huge grin spread over his face.

"Uh…" Urahara and Aizen looked at each other again, concern etched on both their faces. "Why, yes, of course she's alive."

"I have to see her!" Ichigo shouted. "Where is she?"

The distress became even more pronounced on both of the men's expressions. "I imagine she's still at your home at the Karakura Clinic," Urahara began, "but I really think you should stay here for a few tests before we let you go. It's not safe…"

Ichigo glared at them. "If you think you can keep me away from my family," he began, but Aizen held up a hand.

"Not a problem," he said to Urahara. "I can accompany Ichigo back to his family."

Urahara looked surprised. "You yourself, Aizen-sama? Surely you must have more important things to do. Perhaps you can send one of your other guards instead."

Aizen smiled. "More important things than spending time with my old friend?" He shook his head. "I don't think so. The kingdom can run without me for a day or two."

Urahara shrugged. "Well, if you say so."

"I know what you're concerned about, Kisuke, but don't worry, I'll make it back in time for Rangiku's baby shower." He gave a mock shiver. "Gin would run me through with Kamishini no Yari if I didn't attend."

He glanced at Ichigo. The spark of curiosity and fascination Ichigo now remembered so well was dancing in his eyes. "Besides, I'm intrigued by the changes to the timeline. This way we can have some uninterrupted time to discuss them." He smiled. "And finally — I need to have time to persuade Ichigo to join my Royal Council."

Ichigo sputtered. "What?"

"Yes, I think everyone has been becoming too respectful lately. Even Shinji has started agreeing with me every now and then. A king always needs a contrarian on his council, someone who's not afraid to speak their mind and disagree with their monarch."

Ichigo scowled. "Well, you better get used to it, Sousuke, because high-and-mighty king or not, I'll always think of you as my uppity kid brother."

Aizen raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't have it any other way," he said, following Ichigo out the door.

~.~

~THE END~

~.~

**A/N: **Please stop and leave a review before you go on to let me know what you thought of Book I.

Based on many requests for a sequel, the story continues in Book II, beginning after the interlude.


	9. Interlude

**Operation: Big Brother Ch 9 - Interlude**

**A/N:** Based on your requests, I've started a sequel to Book I, which comprised the first 8 chapters of this story. I have outlined enough material for a trilogy, so Books II and III are coming up.

The sequel will begin where chapter 8 left off, with Ichigo and Aizen leaving the Royal Realm for Karakura Town, since Ichigo is eager to see his mother again. The upcoming scene is partially based on my thorough rereading of all the chapters where Masaki appears, and also on the experiences of a very dear friend who lost her mother at a young age and what she said she would feel and do if something like this happened to her. What she would do if the world changed, and she got another chance to tell her mother all the things she never had a chance to.

From the manga, I expect that Ichigo's memory of his mother is somewhat romanticized, but from everything we know, she was truly the sun in the Kurosaki family. I've included a sample from Book II chapter 1 below so this chapter isn't just an author's note.

(Originally posted 9/6/2014, edited 9/14/2014.)

XxXxXxX

_Once back in Karakura Town, walking through the familiar streets, Ichigo found his pace quickening. The thought that his mother might be alive again filled his heart with incredible joy. It was as though the sun had risen again after a long, dark, cold night._

_"Mom," he thought with a rush of emotion, as the nine-year-old boy he had once been remembered her, larger than life and more brilliant. He remembered the last time he had held her hand, that rainy day half a lifetime ago. He remembered the shock and devastation of the moment when he had called to her and she didn't get up, didn't move, never moved again. It had taken him a long time to realize she was gone forever. The one person who never cried and never got mad, who could wipe away every single bad thing just by taking him in her arms. She was the sun in their family, the first person Ichigo had ever wanted to protect. When they lost her that rainy day, the sun had set forever._

_Or so he thought._

_He was so lost in his memories that he almost forgot he was walking beside the man who was once his worst enemy._

XxXxXxX


	10. Book II - Chapter 1

**Operation: Big Brother - Book II - Ch 1**

**A/N:** I've decided to continue the sequel here since it's easier for me not to create another story (and I already have so many stories on my profile that people say it's confusing).

Here is the beginning of Book II. Those of you who read the preview in the previous version of the interlude will recognize a few paragraphs in the middle of this chapter, but it's almost entirely new material. I have a new plot outlined, with more humor and fluff as well as action. I've spent quite a bit of time imagining how all of the canon characters and situations might change in this new timeline, and how the friendship between Aizen and Ichigo will continue and develop.

This story picks up immediately after the end of Book I chapter 8, as Aizen and Ichigo leave the Royal Realm for Karakura Town.

(Originally posted 9/14/14.)

XxXxXxX

Ichigo's eyes widened as they entered the Royal Realm transport station. "Wow. This is so different from how it was before." He craned his neck trying to look everywhere at once. Rather than a temporary gate and a rough-cut tunnel through which you had to run for your life, he had entered a vast hall that appeared to be the bustling hub of an active transportation system.

Fluted columns supported a wide, glass-domed ceiling that rose several hundred feet above the white marble floor. What looked like thousands of people, human, shinigami, and even hollows, were weaving their various ways to their destinations, singly and in groups, calling, laughing, and chattering. They were arrayed in a bewildering variety of costumes, some familiar like shinigami robes or jeans and T-shirts, and some even more bizarre than he had seen on Uryuu's drawing pad.

Aizen glanced around with a pleased expression. "So there was not as much commerce between the Royal Realm and Soul Society in your timeline? It's been a particular focus of mine. I had this station built to enable easier travel between the dimensions. The free flow of ideas and goods has strengthened all of the worlds." He pointed in the direction of a tall black gate that stood three times Ichigo's height. A large crowd was queued up in front of it. "That's our destination. The first portal will take us to the world of the living, and from there we go to Karakura Town."

Ichigo gave Aizen a sidelong glance. "You built this all? So you're pretty happy being king, huh?"

"It keeps me busy." Aizen bypassed the line at the main portal and strode to a smaller gate at one side, where a man in white robes stood guard. The man snapped to attention at the sight of him.

Aizen put a finger to his lips, smiling. "I'm here in an unofficial capacity, so I'd appreciate it if you kept it quiet."

"Of course, sir! Right this way, sir!" He opened the small gate. The man bowed deeply as they passed through and Ichigo snorted to himself as Aizen returned a small, smug smile. One thing that hadn't changed was Aizen's big ego. He apparently still loved attention.

It only took a single step through the portal and they were in another, smaller room. A shinigami manning a second portal bowed to Aizen and entered a set of coordinates on another console. They were through in the blink of an eye.

Once back in Karakura Town, walking through the familiar streets, Ichigo found his pace quickening. The thought that his mother might be alive again filled his heart with incredible joy. It was as though the sun had risen again after a long, dark, cold night.

"Mom," he thought with a rush of emotion, as the nine-year-old boy he had once been remembered her, larger than life and more brilliant. He remembered the last time he had held her hand, that rainy day half a lifetime ago. He remembered the shock and devastation of the moment when he had called to her and she didn't get up, didn't move, never moved again. It had taken him a long time to realize she was gone forever. The one person who never cried and never got mad, who could wipe away every single bad thing just by taking him in her arms. She was the sun in their family, the first person Ichigo had ever wanted to protect. When they lost her that rainy day, the sun had set forever.

Or so he thought.

He was so lost in his memories that he almost forgot he was walking beside the man who was once his worst enemy.

"So," Aizen asked, "what was I like in the timeline you came from?"

Coming back to himself, Ichigo snorted. "Do you really want to know?" He looked the taller man up and down. "You wanted to be king, but you seemed to think the way to go about it was to become a mass-murdering traitor."

Aizen's eyes widened. "Is that so?" His eyes glittered with curiosity. "Tell me some of the things I did."

"Let's see." Ichigo rolled his eyes at Aizen's unhealthy interest in his own darker side. "Used souls for human experiments that led to their deaths or hollowfication, experimented on hollows to make them stronger and set them to kill shinigami, framed Urahara for your crimes and got him exiled, slaughtered the Central 46…"

"Wait, the entire Central 46?" Aizen interrupted him. "I killed all 46 members of the central government?"

"Uh-huh," said Ichigo, glaring at him.

Aizen turned away and leaned on a railing at the side of the roadway, gazing off into the park beyond. "I must have been a very bitter and angry man in your world," he mused softly. "I can't see what purpose such an action would have served."

Ichigo shrugged, scowling. "Maybe they just didn't do what you wanted. You certainly didn't seem to care what happened to anyone who stood in your way."

Aizen sighed. He looked over his shoulder at Ichigo. "But there are so many better ways to get what one wants." A smile ghosted over his lips. "For example, bribery and persuasion can be very effective."

Ichigo snorted. "You sound like you speak from experience."

Aizen ran a hand through his hair. The smile remained on his lips. "Indeed. I had operative control of Central 46 even before I was named captain-commander, by the simple expedient of having formed close bonds, due to my generosity with gifts and loans, with several key members," he admitted. He turned his gaze on Ichigo. "Do you judge me for that?" he asked softly.

Ichigo aimed an intense look at him from under lowered brows. "I guess it's better to be a slimy politician than a brutal mass murderer."

Aizen laughed, a low, rich chuckle. "You _are_ refreshing, Ichigo. Very few souls in the three worlds would dare say those words to my face." Ichigo was surprised to hear a note of something odd in his voice — could it have been … sorrow?

"Isn't that part and parcel of being king, having the respect and admiration of all? It's what you wanted, isn't it?"

Aizen turned away once more, gazing out into the trees. "It's what I thought I wanted." His voice dropped until Ichigo could barely hear it. "But it seems that admiration is the furthest state from understanding."

Ichigo stared at him, taken aback at hearing the quotation in such a different context. "What _do_ you really want?" he wondered.

"I— never mind." Aizen shook his head. "We can talk of that another time," he said briskly, stepping away from the railing and resuming their walk toward the clinic. They walked on in silence for a few moments; then he turned and raised an eyebrow. "So tell me, how long did I get away with any of the other things you said I did?"

"A long time. Way too long." Ichigo scowled at him.

"Hmmm." Aizen looked far too intrigued for Ichigo's liking. "I always wondered what I could do with Kyouka Suigetsu." A tiny smirk tilted his lips upward. "It does seem a little drastic. Sounds like my other self was just looking for attention."

Ichigo groaned. "You could say that." He shot the taller man a sidelong glance. "I assume that in this timeline, you've behaved much better?"

"I've never done any of those terrible things you mention." He looked thoughtful. "Well, most of them. You _might_ say I framed Urahara that one time…"

They turned a corner and the Karakura Clinic, looking just the way Ichigo remembered it, appeared in front of them. Ichigo broke into a run, Aizen trailing along behind him.

Ichigo pounded up the front steps, pulled open the door and stood to one side, braced for an attack. "Hey!" he shouted into the dimness within, "I'm home!"

Nothing happened.

He cautiously peered around the door jamb. "Goat Face?" But his crazy dad did not come running out the door trying to center punch him.

After a while, hesitating on the doorstep, he sniffed deeply. A delicious scent was wafting out of the open door, and cheerful music sounded from the direction of the kitchen. Ducking his head in wonder, he slipped inside and followed the mouthwatering odors.

He stopped in the kitchen doorway, transfixed by the scene in front of him.

A tiny, golden-haired dynamo was busily stirring three different pots at the stove as music blasted out of a set of speakers. Then she zipped to one side and chopped up bok choy on a cutting board, all the while shouting out directions to the other person in the kitchen.

Isshin was wearing a white apron and obediently filleting fish on another cutting board, nodding as he followed his wife's rapid-fire instructions.

Ichigo gaped. His mother was much smaller than he remembered, but if possible, even more vibrant and alive.

"Mom," he said, and she turned.

"Ichigo!" A brilliant smile spread over her face. "You're back, from wherever that shyster shopkeeper was trying to send you." She scowled and waved a wooden spoon. "He thought he was pulling the wool over my eyes, but it was soooo clear he was lying. He was sending you off someplace dangerous, wasn't he?"

"Mom," Ichigo said again, tasting the word on his lips in wonder, and then he was in her arms. He buried his face in her hair. He was taller than her now, and she felt slight and delicate in his arms. "Mom," and it felt like a part of him that had shriveled up long ago was coming back to life, like a desiccated plant might regrow after a rainfall, like a thirsty man in the desert might open his eyes and cry tears of joy upon seeing the life-giving pool of water before him. "I missed you so much," he whispered. "I love you."

"Well!" Masaki said, a note of gratification in her voice. "Whatever he did couldn't have been that bad, if you're that enthusiastic about seeing me after only three days. If I recall, someone was a little grouchy about being asked to do his homework last week." She leaned back and held him at arms' length, eyes searching his face. Her hands tightened on his arms and she frowned. "What happened? You look like you've gone through hell … are you crying?"

"Uh—" Ichigo began, not sure how he was going to explain everything, but just then Aizen appeared in the doorway. Masaki's eyes widened.

"You!" she shouted, letting go of Ichigo, darting forward to hit Aizen over the head with her wooden spoon. "What have you done to my boy this time, Sousuke? Why can't you stop getting other people into trouble?"

Ichigo gaped at the sight of his mother hitting the man he had known as Soul Society's greatest enemy—and who was now practically a god—over the head with a kitchen spoon.

Aizen ducked and put his hands over his head to defend himself against the attack, half laughing. "Masaki, no, I'm innocent this time, I swear it," he insisted, his brown eyes wide.

Masaki glared at him. "Don't think you're going to give me that puppy-dog look and get away with everything like usual." She brandished the spoon again.

Isshin leaned on the counter, shaking his head and grinning. "He always gets away with everything. It's his bankai, the puppy-dog Gaze of Innocence." His eyes flicked to his son. "Hey, Ichigo, welcome back."

Ichigo cast a glance at Aizen, who did indeed appear to have perfected a wide-eyed look of wounded innocence, half-penitent and half-smiling. He spread his hands. "Why is it that everywhere in this realm I earn respect except in the Kurosaki household?"

Masaki snorted. "Maybe it's because we all can see right through your mask. Or maybe it's because—"

The corners of Aizen's mouth turned down slightly. "Don't I get credit for being the person who brought you two together?"

"Credit!" Masaki scoffed. "One of your illegal experiments got away from you and Isshin had to subdue it to keep it from ravaging the human world."

"Hey," protested Aizen softly, "it did bring you out of that Quincy fortress of yours. Besides, the king makes the laws, so it wasn't _completely_ illegal."

"Don't try to give me any of that crap about it being part of your plan." She wagged the spoon at him. "You didn't _plan_ that I would be infected with hollow poison and require a lifelong bond with this clown over here," she gestured at Isshin.

"Well," Aizen said, shooting a pleading look at her husband, "It did turn out for the best after all, didn't it?" He peered at Isshin from under the long bangs which had fallen in his eyes.

Isshin laughed and scooped his wife into his arms. "He's right on that one," he said cheerfully, planting a kiss on the top of her head. "It's hard to hold it against him when it brought me the love of my life." He grinned. "I mean, you were about to tie yourself to that sullen stick in the mud Ishida Ryuuken." He gave a mock shudder. "Anything was worth it to save you from that fate worse than death."

Masaki shook her head, but her annoyance was spent. She gave Aizen one last glare. "It's still true that experimentation on hollows is illegal. And that's as it should be, since they are sentient, after all."

"I just did it to keep Kisuke in line," he said, eyes wide and innocent again. "You know how he likes to experiment."

"Stop it with the puppy eyes!" she shouted, threatening him with the spoon one more time, but she was giggling now.

Aizen grinned, captured the spoon with an easy swipe, ran one finger over the bowl and licked it. "Mmmm, delicious," he proclaimed. "What are we having for dinner?"

"Did you just invite yourself over for dinner?" Masaki put her hands on her hips, then sighed. "Oh, never mind. Goat Face, set another place, will you?" She gave Aizen a half-hearted glare. "You can spend the time telling me what you did to my son this time."

"Not me. Kisuke," Aizen said, but as all three of the Kurosakis turned to glare at him, he sighed and asked, "Can I help set the table?" He essayed a charming smile which only broadened as they all let out matching resigned sighs.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. It seemed that in this timeline Aizen had turned his manipulating skills to charm and beguilement rather than outright deceit, but some things were the same as always: his ethics were still shady.

On the other hand, he thought to himself, smiling happily as his mother laughed at something else Aizen said and put the finishing touches on their dinner, who was he to complain, considering how things had turned out?

XxXxXxX

Dinner felt surreal to Ichigo, sitting at the large wooden table with both his parents and his sisters and Aizen of all people, everyone bickering just like a normal family. He stared at his sisters covertly. Yuzu seemed shyer and a little silly, more carefree. She still liked to help her mother in the kitchen, but the heavy responsibility of having to assume the duties of a mother at such a young age was gone. Her shoulders seemed straighter and the shadows he remembered in her eyes were completely missing. Karin was still a grouchy tomboy, but the bitter edge he remembered seemed to have softened. She went on and on about her latest soccer match, and Ichigo was glad to see that some things didn't change.

But most of his attention was focused on his mother. It had been so many years since he had last seen her, and it just felt like he could never get his fill of gazing at her and feeling his love for her permeate his heart. Missing his mother had been like having a hole in his heart, a wound that had never fully healed, the sense of something vital in his core that had been forever lost. He had sometimes had dreams in which she was still alive, and he always awakened from them with a sense of joy that pierced him to his center… only to be eclipsed by bitter sadness as he remembered the truth.

Just in case, he pinched himself under the table to make sure he was still awake. Then he sighed and leaned back in his chair, feeling content simply to study her face. She was every bit as cheerful and lively as he remembered from his early childhood, still the center of their household, and Ichigo couldn't help but grin at every single one of her jokes. Isshin was quieter, less goofy and more at peace. His adoration of his wife was obvious in every gesture, every glance he sent her way.

"Ichigo," said Masaki suddenly, "what's wrong with you?"

Ichigo gulped and almost choked on a bite of taro root. "Me?" he asked. "What do you mean?"

Masaki waved her chopsticks at him, eyes narrowed. "There's something really different about you." She tipped her head to one side. "You just seem, I don't know, like you were changed by whatever happened these past three days… You're smiling more than usual but I see, um, kind of an underlying sense of sadness too." She squinted at him. "You've always been such a grouchy teenager, Ichigo, as though you were looking for something missing in your life. You and I haven't always seen eye to eye recently about the kids you chose to hang out with, or your never wanting to spend time with your family, but today you just seem happy to see us, something I haven't seen in years." She took a breath and continued scrutinizing his face. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you looked more mature. But that surely couldn't have happened in only three days, could it?"

Ichigo looked uncomfortable. "Uh," he mumbled, running a hand through his hair and making it stand up.

Isshin chimed in. "He's also in better physical shape, and his spiritual pressure is much more well-defined." He ran a measuring glance over Ichigo. "Was this another of Kisuke's shady accelerated training programs?"

Aizen leaned back in his chair, saying nothing but watching the interplay between the three Kurosakis with a slightly amused expression. Ichigo darted a glance at him and saw that he wasn't going to get any help there. Bastard, he thought, lowering his eyebrows.

"It's a long story," he hedged.

Isshin and Masaki exchanged a glance. Masaki folded her arms across her chest. "We've got plenty of time," she purred with a dangerous glint in her eye.

"Uh," Ichigo began, "um, in that case …" His voice trailed off as he tried to think how to frame the story. Then he shrugged and just dove right in. "What do you think about time travel?"

Masaki narrowed her eyes at the apparent non-sequitur. "What? It's an interesting science fiction concept. So? What does that have to do with anything?"

Ichigo heaved another big sigh. "Well, it turns out it's actually possible…"

XxXxXxX

Ichigo had been talking nonstop for at least an hour. Dinner was finished but no one had wanted to stop hearing the story long enough to leave the room to clear the dishes.

The rest of the family had finally stopped looking at him as though he had gone crazy. At least Aizen had backed up his story.

Masaki shook her head. "I'm going to eviscerate Kisuke," she declared. "So does that mean you've been gone for months in the past when we only thought it was a few days?"

"Uh, yeah," said Ichigo, "but it's even worse than that." He swallowed, worried they were going to be upset. "You know what it means that I'm from another timeline? It means I don't remember anything of the past eight years with you. My life was completely different."

There was silence for a moment. It stretched out for a while and Ichigo began to feel a little uncomfortable. He opened his mouth to apologize, but then Isshin said, "Well, to be honest, son, in the last couple of years you'd really taken a wrong turn."

"Yeah," piped up Karin with a glare, "you haven't been a very nice person lately. Ignoring all of us, cutting class, skipping your homework, hanging out with lowlifes."

Masaki said, "You know, I had really been thinking that you needed a purpose in your life." She adjusted the chopsticks on her plate. "Now, it sounds like you had one in that other timeline. The situation was terrible, but it actually sounds like it helped you grow up." She was quiet for a moment. "Not that I'm too happy about the idea of you risking your life in those crazy shinigami wars, nor," she said with a sharp glance at Aizen, "of you fighting the alternate version of this guy who seems to have been even more of a douchebag than he is here." Aizen managed to look both contrite and smug as she continued, "But it seems like it all turned out for the best."

"Yes," Yuzu said softly, "I know you're a good person, Ichi-nii, but you've been making some bad decisions."

Ichigo shook his head. "Well, then—"

Masaki said at the same time, "But what I really want to know is—"

The loud piercing warble of multiple soul pagers sounded in the room. Ichigo instinctively reached for his pocket, and then he noticed that Isshin, Masaki, and Aizen had all pulled theirs out.

He stared at the text, one he had never gotten before. "Unable to connect to server to verify license."

"My _license_? What does that mean?"

Isshin smirked. "Well, either you didn't pay your soul pager bill, or we're under emergency protocols." He glanced at Aizen. "The last time it happened was when the connections between Soul Society and the world of the living were severed without warning."

"Huh?" asked Ichigo. "What's going on?"

Aizen bent over his device. "I'm getting a message from Kisuke," he told the others. "All connections and passageways between the worlds have been shut down. He's routed around the blockage to get me this message and is holding open a shielded senkaimon for me to return." He rose from the table smoothly. "My dear Masaki, I greatly regret that I won't be able to stay for one of your wonderful desserts. It seems Soul Society is under attack. I'll need to return at once."

"I'll go with you," declared Ichigo.

Masaki said, "What?" and then she caught herself. She and Isshin exchanged a glance.

Isshin glared at Aizen. "I thought you had destroyed all of Soul Society's enemies! Who could this be?"

Aizen furrowed his brows, still reading. "No information on the identity of the enemy."

"What are we standing around chatting for?" shouted Ichigo, scowling ferociously. He turned to his parents. "You both stay here with the girls," he said. "They'll need someone to protect them. Don't worry."

"Yes," said Aizen calmly. "Ichigo saved the world once, why not a second time?"

They headed out the door.

XxXxXxX

**A/N:** I hope you felt I did justice to Masaki. I went through and reread every single chapter of the manga where she appeared, and tried to get a feeling for what she might be like.

Any specific questions you want to see answered about this timeline?

Should I continue the sequel?

**NOTE 23 Mar 2016:** Don't worry, I have not abandoned this story – I've just had an extremely busy year in RL with work and family illness. I hope to be able to get back to this soon. Thanks for all the reviews, faves, and follows – every time I see one in my inbox it reminds me I need to finish the partially-written chapter I have on my computer. I appreciate the gentle nudges! :)


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